Whispers of the Dead
by EphemeralSakura
Summary: SasuSaku Zombie Infestation. Ninja Universe. The team 7 is in a mission for closing all of Orochimaru's hideouts around the Fire Country. Once they arrive at the sound, something deadly accidentally escapes and all of their definition of life and death is no longer logical.
1. Chapter 1

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The ninja world has suffered a lot of transformations since the beginning of times and the appearance of the first human being. Limits have been surpassed and the powerful Mother Nature has been proved wrong many times. The unceasing mind of a human being knows no boundaries. The complex body of a person refuses to give up because of the exhaustion. Yet, even for the most brilliant minds and the most perfect bodies, the eternal darkness comes to put an end to every single thing. In the end, the death has always been the worst enemy of men. Such an insignificant moment that can define if you return home to your family or becomes another one who has fallen for that same old trick. That's how the history goes on. People live and people die. And, with each new generation, the stubborn feeling of defying death grows stronger. But it might be dangerous to play with something as old as life itself.  
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Once the whole world had recovered itself from that massive lost of irreplaceable lives, the broken bonds between friends and villagers were slowly being rebuilt. They had decided to follow the "forgive and forget" policy in order to avoid any major conflict, specially against the village who had the three greatest heroes of the war. So, as the said village was also the most benevolent one, instead of imposing their power among the other ninja villages, Konoha decided to help the others who had suffered a lot with the consequences of the war. From providing food supplies to sending their own medical ninjas to far away places, the Hidden Leaf was willing to do anything to spread the peace around the world. And they would go as far as sending their best team to clean the mess caused by the Snake Sannin on the Sound village.

The three man and the girl who composed the so talented team were sent on a special mission in order to explore and shut down the secret hideouts that were once used by Orochimaru. It was important to know if those places still held any confidential information or even any dangerous experiment that could bring any harm to the people from both of the villages. Someone had to check on them, and who would be better than a boy who had been in every single one of those stinky caverns for three years? Perhaps leaving the village might have been useful in the end.

The whole place had few light spots and the long stone corridors would lead to an infinite darkness which the Uchiha knew like the back of his hand. Many were the times when he wandered around that place at night seeking for a voice to comfort him after an exhaustive day of training. Yet, he found nothing more than cells full of human guinea pigs for the legendary ninja's horrendous experiments. Sasuke hated that particular thing about his master, yet, if he wanted power, he would have to bare with the injustices of that world. Death was a part of that insane search of power that commanded his life. And loneliness was nothing but a mere consequence of it. But, for the first time in all of the time he had to be confined inside that place, Sasuke wasn't walking alone around those hallways anymore.

The whispers of those soon to be dead prisoners weren't the only sound heard by his ears anymore. People were by his side now. A bunch of stubborn people who dared to stay by his side. A blonde man who was the closest thing to a best friend he had ever had. A lonely teacher who could see a little of himself in the avenger. And a pink haired girl who had gone so far as becoming his girlfriend and future wife. Sasuke was a different person because of them. He wasn't alone anymore, yet, there were times when he wished to hear nothing but his thoughts.

" Tch... This place is disgusting... How didn't you die in here, Sasuke?"

" hn, I had to do it in order to become strong."

" and yet I'm stronger than you." Naruto smirked.

" shut up, Dobe! I can beat you anytime I want." The Uchiha glared.

" oh, really? What about now?"

" bring it on!"

The two boys were quickly set in a battle position, but the girl's hand was also ready to stop that fight.

" no no! Stop it both of you! None of you will fight in this place! We are in an important mission! Do it when you get home."

" Sakura is right. This place will fall on our heads. Behave you two."

" tch, Kakashi-sensei... You worry too much... I just want to finish this already..."

" stop complaining, Dobe."

" Teme..."

" enough you two! Tch... Those two can't be kept together anymore..."

" finally someone sees it!"

" it's your fault, Sasuke!"

" you're the kid here, Naruto!"

In a combined sigh, the pinkette and the silver haired man gave up on trying to solve things only with words. Those two boys, since the original team 7 was rebuilt, hadn't stopped fighting for a single minute. And that situation was already giving the other members a huge headache. Due to that childish way of solving things, the powerful team had already got into many troubles, in which, many times, were even harder to be solved than the given mission itself. And such thing could not keep happening anymore. So, in a simple solution, student and teacher found a way of stopping those fights. It was an easy way to stop that affection exchange between those two almost best friends.

" let's spread. Sasuke and Sakura, go left. Naruto and I will go right. Come back here in ten minutes. Go."

" Hn. Let's go, Sakura."

" Tch, let's go, Kakashi-sensei..."

As the two duos separated their ways, the couple silently made its way towards the end of a dark corridor. The girl had her arms wrapped around his own as a shiver seemed to be traveling up and down her spine. The whole place was the one to be blamed for it. It was a dark and cold place, where her only option was to stick near her boyfriend, which was also a dangerous thing considering that they were alone, in a dark place and with an involving atmosphere that practically lured them to try something different with their relationship.

" this place is really scary, don't you think?"

" Hn, of course not...Sakura... I want to show you a nice place."

" uh? Where?"

" just follow me."

" ... Should I?"

" would you rather be here alone?"  
He smirked.

" you've convinced me."

As the boy dragged the girl towards a special place, her small hands started to shake unstoppably. Sakura was cold and, as they entered even further, the shivers seemed to improve at each step taken until they finally arrived at the final destination.

The room where the boy had decided to take her, was an abandoned cell with a countless of rusted torture instruments. Blood stains could be seen on the walls and even bones were left behind those bars. That place was really terrifying, yet, exciting for two young ninjas.

" what do you think, Sakura?"

" it's a really... Disturbing place..."

" disturbing or...- he approached her, kissing the back of her neck- mysteriously passionate?"

Arcing her neck in response and trying to step away from the boy, Sakura did her best to keep the distance between them long enough so his hands couldn't rip her clothes off. The girl was sure of his true intentions when he suggested showing her a private room. Yet, in order to keep him away from the blonde, she decided to go and stop his hormones herself.

" that's not funny, Sasuke-kun... We are in the middle of a mission..."

" so what? There is no on here..."

" but it's really scary in here..."

" then let me protect you from the evil."

With a smirk still playing on his lips, the Uchiha, in an abrupt movement, reached to her hand and quickly pulled her towards him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and, without asking for any kind of permission, the boy crashed his lips on hers, biting her lower lip in order to invade her insides. The girl had no way to defend herself. Before she could even blink, Sasuke had already taken the lead on the dance between their tongues. His hands were already sliding around her back and reaching the skin under her shirt. All she could do was let out a moan, which was the explicit betrayal of her own body. It showed how much she enjoyed that side of his. Yet, she couldn't simply allow him to do whatever he wanted with her.

" Sasuke-kun... Stop it..."

She said as he moved his lips around her neck.

" make me..."

He smirked teasingly, moving her body around her room.

" we are in the middle of a mission..."

" so what!? It's not like nobody does it..."

" Sasuke-kun..."

Hearing her pleading voice, the Uchiha stopped his unceasingly kisses and his wandering hands. He had heard her wish, yet, it didn't mean she would be free that easily.

Before Sakura could even locate herself around the room, a metal door shut close in front of her. He had locked her inside. He had placed her inside a place where many had died, yet, all the raven haired boy could think was how cute she looked while she was mad.

" really funny... Now let me out."

" what's the magic word?"

" now!"

" wrong."

" Sasuke!"

" my name isn't the magic word."

" Tch... Please?"

" nope."

" what!? Then what is the magic word?"

" I haven't thought about it yet."

" ...- she sighed- let me go!"

" no... You're my prisoner."

" I won't even be your girlfriend anymore if you don't take me out of her!"

" ... Tch, you don't know how to play..."

" not with you in such a moment."

" Hn."

Pouting a little while the boy turned the key to open the door, Sakura got lost in her thoughts. She was thinking about that kiss. She was blushing because of that. Her guard was completely down in that moment, and that was when the one thing hidden in the darkness decided to come to her and try to steal her light. With the smell of a corpse and the strength of a leaf, a person came out from behind the pinkette, hugging her tightly. The body was all stained in blood and full of deep bruises all over the face. It was a man, they knew, yet, calling him a human was something really hard to be done at that moment. And he wasn't alone. Five other people- including kids and women- were standing right behind him with stunned faces while they watched the couple of ninjas standing next to the door.  
Sakura screamed out loud and, at the same time, the Uchiha opened the door, kicking the one near his girlfriend away and pulling her close to his chest. His Sharingan were activated and a deadly glare was sent towards the one who was still on the ground. The couple watched as that person tried hard to stand up and how ripped were his clothes. It didn't seem right. It didn't seem natural. It seemed dead.

Sasuke could feel his other teammates approaching. He could feel how afraid the girl in his arms was, yet, he wondered how he hadn't felt a single living sign when they got in the room. There was nothing coming from them. No chakra lines. No blood in the veins. No life in their hearts.

 _ **End of the Chapter**_


	2. Chapter 2

*****  
 _When you feel the heat, look into my eyes. That's where the demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside._  
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The pleading eyes of the creature that stood before them were, definitely, not easy to be forgotten. There were red veins spread all over the  
sclera and the pupils were completely dilated. There was blood on the corner of his left eye and it seemed to be coming from under his dark and greasy hair. That whole body language suggested that he was ready to attack and kill, yet, in his eyes, his

expression didn't seem to be offering any threat. They showed fear and they were asking for help. They showed pain and agony in a way only a human being could show. A human being in need. And, as a medic, the girl couldn't simply watch those eyes begging for help.

While Sakura stared at the one standing before them with concern, the avenger, who held her in his arms, was pointing his sword towards that half dead thing. His Sharingan were activated and he was carefully waiting for the right moment to slice that man in half. He would do it without hesitating. He would kill not considering the fact that, perhaps, a life could be saved. Sasuke couldn't care less about saving a life that was not his fiancé's at the moment. Still, he knew that there were chances of the others, who were watching the scene from behind, to get mad and attack them if something happened to that creature that seemed to be their leader. The Uchiha had to take them out of there as soon as possible. He couldn't risk Sakura's life by any chance.

" Sakura... Listen here. You will get out of here and ask for help."

" what? N-No. I'm not leaving you behind... We can solve this together. This man needs help."

" are you delusional? Look at him! He doesn't need help. He wants to kill us."

" no! Look into his eyes... There is something wrong."

" hn, I agree with you... There is something wrong, but we're not staying here to find out what."

With a serious expression and a rigid movement, the last Uchiha pushed the girl behind his back, protectively, and used his free arm to create a barrier between her and the man shaped figure. He was ready to protect her and ready to kill in order to guarantee her safety. Even if the boy tried his best not to act violently in front of the pinkette, he wouldn't hold back that time.

" ... What are you going to do?"

" hn."

" you're not killing him!"

" don't get in my way!"

" he is a man, Sasuke!"

" you can't be sure of that!"

" I know but-"

" no buts, Sakura! Just stay back. I'll end this in a minute."

" No!"

Deciding to follow her instincts, the pink haired medic broke away from his protection and stood, with her arms widened, between Sasuke and that thing she called man. Her green emeralds were fixed on Sasuke's dark pearls as if showing him she trusted her words. Sakura wasn't going to back off, even if his glare was the most threatening she had ever seen since he returned to Konoha.

" get back, now, Sakura!"

" no!"

The man started to approach.

" don't make me put you under a genjutsu!"

" again?!"

" this is not the time to discuss this!"

" exactly! It's no time to discuss! There are lives in risk here!"

He came closer.

" yours is too!"

" why would my life be more important than his?!"

" why wouldn't it be!?"

He was standing less than a meter away from the pinkette.

" Sasuke! I'm a medic, I can't let them die!"

" you are the woman I love! Your life is more important than any other life here! I can't let you do this!"

" and how do you think I'm gonna feel if I just let them die without trying anything?"

He was just some inches away, when the rest of the team arrived.

"Sakura! Watch out!"

" ...H-Help!"

In a desperate voice, the creature fell on his knees, crying desperately with his forehead near the girl's feet. It was a human, after all. It was a man. And he was begging for help in order to save his life and the lives of the ones behind him. How could she, a medic from the Leaf, refuse to help a man in such condition? Maybe that was her biggest weakness. She put the lives of the others before her own. And that, someday, would be the death of her.

Loosening the tension of his shoulders, the sharingan holder sighed heavily and put his sword back on its sheath, yet, it didn't mean his guard was down. Sasuke knew the situation was already controlled but all the care in the world was still not enough when dealing with the unknown. The Uchiha was decided to keep a close eye on those people who were begging for help, and he wouldn't have to think twice before killing them if things ran out of Sakura's control.

After the other two members of the team helped the couple taking the victims who were locked inside those cages, all of the members of that four-men-cell took them out of the cave, forcing those hurt eyes to welcome the sunlight. It burned at first. The light was too painful for those who had been imprisoned in the darkness for who knows how long. What had happened to those people was insane, yet, it helped them seeing the world with new eyes.

Once outside, the ninjas were able to have a full vision of the prisoners. They were all wearing dirty clothes, their teeth- the ones that they still had- were all colored in a mixture of black and red, the smell exhaling from them reminded of death and rotten ailments and, on some part of their bodies, a delimited dark spot who was darker than any other part of their dirty skin. It was a really curious aspect that ended up being noticed only by the avenger. The boy knew how to scan the ones around him perfectly, and such thing would, definitely, be kept in the files of his brain. He couldn't let anything pass unseen.

Wrapping one of the man's arm around her neck, the pink haired girl prevented him from falling. That person was too weak and he needed a hospital immediately. All of them did. Thankfully, the Sound wasn't too far from there. She would only need a little help to carry them until there.

" Naruto... Can you make some clones to help me taking those people to the hospital?"

" uh? Of course! It will be easy!"

" hn, I will help you taking them there."

" no need."

" what?" His eyes widened.

" you've heard me... Hn, Sasuke-kun, they need you here to guide them through the hideout. You're the only one who knows the ways... With the clones, I can take the survivors to the hospital while you three finish this."

" no."

" uh? Why not?"

" because I don't want you alone in there." He crossed his arms on his chest.

" I can take care of myself." She pouted.

" stop being stubborn. Didn't you have enough of it for today?"

" I'm trying to be practical. Hn, right, Kakashi-sensei?"

" oh, so you're trying to use Kakashi's opinion against mine? Hn, he won't agree with you, right?"

" actually, Sasuke... Sakura has a point. We need you here and this people need her there. Her solution is the best for our current situation. She will be fine there."

" what?! Even you are against me?!"

" I'm sorry, Sasuke."

" Tch, and what about you, Naruto?"

" I agree with Sakura-chan... Stop being too overprotective, Teme. By the time we finish here, she will be ready there. And we will all go home."

" see? Even Naruto agrees with me."

" hn... I don't like this idea."

" your opinion is irrelevant at the moment, honey... Now I need to take them all to the hospital."

" ... Hn. Just... Be careful, okay? I won't forgive you if something bad happens to you..."

" nothing will happen. I'll see you in some hours, Sasuke-kun."

Kissing the raven haired boy one more time, and, with the help of six shadow clones, Sakura departed to the Sound hospital. She seemed pretty confident at the moment and the vision of her eyes was enough to leave the Uchiha less worried. He would go back inside that cave and he would make sure to end that mission as soon as possible to take the girl out of there.

"Yosh! Let's go!"

" hn, try not to be so loud, idiot..."

" oh no... "

-

After exactly two hours of walking unstoppably around those rocky tunnels without finding one single sign of life, the three ninjas were starting to lose patience. The blonde just wanted to go back to his ramen as soon as possible. The gray haired man hated that place where he couldn't read his book. And the raven haired boy was feeling unease because of his girlfriend all alone in that village. All of them wanted to get out of there, yet, none of them was willing to be the first to admit such thing. Fortunately, for their adventurers minds, something was about to happen.

It all started with a huge noise that seemed to be a door being opened and the increasing sound of running steps approaching them. At last some action, they though as they started to get ready for the fight. The place only had one tunnel connecting the rooms, so, it was inevitable that their paths would meet. It was all a matter of time.

Finally, when the steps stopped, the one who was taking them stopped right in front of the three ninjas. He had the internal part of his right arm all exposed and a lot of blood dripping from it. His clothes were all torn apart and he had bruises all over his body. The facial expression showed deep anger and his teeth were exposed on the sides. That man didn't seem human. And, by the way he started running again, the three ninjas knew there was something wrong.

That creature quickly reached them and, with his hands stretched, he was desperately trying to catch one of the boys. His jaw didn't stop chewing, as if he wanted to eat something and the grunts coming from his vocal chords could be easily associated with an animal's. The smell exhaled from him was the same as the people from the cage and, lastly, a dark spot on his right arm just like the ones seen before by Sasuke. It couldn't be something good, the avenger thought.

Even if they tried to talk to the man, his ending was inevitable. The blonde hero threw a rasengan on him, making his body crash against the wall and get impaled by a stick, conventionally positioned. Naruto didn't want it to end like that, but, since there was no way, the future Hokage had to do what the situation demanded from him. He would feel guilty for killing a man without trying to talk to him before, but, what if the one who attacked them was no longer a man? Probably his guilty would go away.

When the gray haired man started to make his way towards the body, a sudden voice caught his attention as soon as he passed in front of one of the many rooms of that hideout. The voice was weak as a murmur, yet, since the whole place was silent as a graveyard, Kakashi heard when the old man asked him for help.

Accompanied by his two students, the copy ninja Kakashi entered the room where an old man was found bleeding on the bed. His shoulder was the body part with the biggest concentration of blood and the area that surrounded the place showed some signs of putrefaction. That man needed a doctor, otherwise, he wouldn't make it. But, surprisingly, he didn't want to.

" sir, we are going to take you to a hospital. You will be fine."

" no... You can't take me out of here... None of the contaminated can leave this place."

" contaminated? What are you talking about, old man?"

" there is a virus... He developed a virus... It brings... People back to life."

" what!?"

" hn, big deal... We've faced them on the war..."

" no... It's different... Those have no conscience. They just want to eat human meat..."

Their faces froze.

" ... Explain yourself better, old man."

" they... They have returned to life to kill... They look for food... And you are food! ... D-Don't let them bite you... Or you will become one of them... D-Don't let anyone... Out..."

At that exact moment, a shiver went down the three ninjas spine. Just the thought of people eating people was too disgusting. It was hard to believe, at first, but, after remembering what had happened some minutes before, the three men started to get terrified inside.

" y-you have to kill me... I was infected... Destroy my brain."

" but you're still conscious, old man."

" it takes some time to spread over your body... I will, soon, become one of them... Please, I beg you..."

Looking at each other, the younger ninjas didn't know what to do. Should they kill the man? Should they let him live? None of them knew, but, before any of them could make any move, Kakashi took his kunai out and, coldly, took that man's life. Straight in the head, as the man had told them. Both of the students were left stunned, but, once their Sensei looked seriously at them, their faces also became serious. Kakashi was trying to tell them something, And it worked. The boys remembered that one thing that had happened earlier. One thing or, better saying, someone.

" Sakura."

 _ **End of the Chapter**_


	3. Chapter 3

*****  
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They ran as fast as they could. Pumping all their chakra to their feet, the three ninjas of the Hidden Leaf held an apprehensive expression at each inch closer to their final destination: the Sound, more specifically, the central hospital of that village trapped in a melancholic melody.

Ever since the discovery of a new crises created by the snake Sannin, none of the male parts of the team 7 had had time to think. They needed to act before it was too late. They needed to alert the whole population and isolate the problem. Still, everything seemed too hard to be done when the uncertainty of their female friend's security was on risk. It was known that she had departed alone with more than one of those infected experiments. It was known that she would take care of them personally. Sakura would never give up on people such as them. They needed help. They wanted to live, yet, in just some moments, those humble victims would be trying to take human lives with their own hands. They would kill in order to make something useful with their death.

Once crossed the main gate of the village, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke saw nothing too far from the normality. People were on the streets doing what they usually do. Nobody seemed to be worried, yet, for an expert ninja as Kakashi Hatake, it was easy to detect some precaution measures in the special force of the Sound. It had already started, they knew. And the pinkette was right in the center of that problem.

Not wasting more time, the heroes of the war and their sensei went to the health provider place of the village. A strange aura surrounded the building, which caused shivers to dance down their spines. The main door was slightly opened and, once the wind made sure to expose more of those white corridors, they realized that white wasn't the only color tinging the walls. There was also a bit of red too. A vivid and vibrating red that was slowly making its way to the footnote of the wall. It was blood, they knew it. However, even if seeing such thing seemed like seeing the marks of a massacre, blood was nothing compared to the ones who made it spill. Those things would, surely, drain more innocent people's blood.

Led by a worried Uchiha, the three men hurriedly made their way through those long corridors. There was blood everywhere. That same rotten smell was invading their mosey tiles and also many were the nurses and the doctors who were laying on the floor, with their white clothes all stained in blood and with, at least, one internal organ exposed. Some even lacked their arms and legs, yet, in every single facial expression, a painful feeling of getting killed before having the chance to say goodbye.

They followed the way up though the stairs. Sakura's chakra could be easily felt by Naruto and such thing was the certainty of her survival. But it didn't mean she hadn't been bitten or she was already loosing her conscious. They would have to see her to find the truth, but those stairs weren't helping at all. They didn't seem to have an end. Each step seemed to drive them even further away from their objective. Their heartbeats were growing wild and the possibility of anything happening to that pink haired girl was just driving all of them insane. Perhaps that was the pain that was so long avoided by Sasuke. Loosing her would be more painful than anything in the world. He had to keep his hopes up no matter what. It would be the only way to keep him sane.

Kicking the door aside, the Uchiha responded to his reflexes and threw a Kunai strongly at his right. His other two companies didn't understand at first, but, once their vision was clearer, Kakashi and Naruto saw one of those things laying on the ground with the knife craved right on his head. It had certainly been a good shot for someone is his state. Still, his revengeful side surely felt something good inside when he killed that beast. If he couldn't save his girl, Sasuke would, at least, decimate the one who dared to touch her.

A closed door was found in the middle of the hallway, with what seemed to be tons of scratching marks on the outside. There was something trying to get in, so it could only mean something valuable was inside.

" she's in that room! I can feel it!"

" got it!"

" Sakura, open the door!"

The girl said nothing.

" open the damn door, Sakura!"

The door was locked from the inside.

" Fuck! I'm gonna break it! Stay away, okay?"

No answer was heard, so, as the patience of that raven haired boy had reached the end, Sasuke used a well charged chidori on the door, breaking it immediately. They all watched as the wooden parts fell on the sides, and exposed the so desired prize. She was there. Sakura was siting against the wall, in a fetal position and with her clothes covered in blood. Her emeralds were widened and looking straight to the ground. Tears falling and staining her skin, stopping only when they reached her mumbling mouth. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and her breathing was fast and shallow. The girl was visibly in a state of shock. And she had the right to be. Seeing the dead coming back to life wasn't something that could be seen everyday.

After a single blink, Sasuke threw himself to the floor next to her. He hugged her tight, feeling her cold skin with his bare hands. Never in his life had he seen Sakura with such fear in her eyes. And that was the proof that even Haruno Sakura could be broken mentally like that.

" Sakura... Are you okay? What happened? Did any of those things bite you?"

His hands wandered around her body in search of any bite. He looked for the places where the blood was more concentrated in her clothes and in places where there was no blood at all. In his mind, it was just a matter of time until he found anything on her skin and then it would be the end. She would become one of them and they would have to kill her. Or that was what his paranoid mind was imagining.

There was nothing. No bite, no scratch. No wound that could have made her lose blood, which meant that blood on her clothes did not belong to her. She would be fine. She wouldn't become one of them.

" thank god... You're fine... She's fine, guys."

" she doesn't seem fine, Sasuke..."

" she's in shock. Give her some time. I'll send a report to Konoha..."

" Hn, let me take care of her. You stay alert, Naruto."

" fine fine... Don't make things worse."

"Hn."

As the gray haired man wrote his message and they blonde kept a careful eye around that place, the Uchiha was still holding her tight. He was caressing her cheek and striking the locks of her pink hair behind her ear. Sakura was so fragile at that moment. She had lost all that attitude of hers, and the Uchiha hated to see her like that. He would make them pay. He would make them pay for doing such thing to the woman he loves. He just wanted her to wake up.

Kissing her forehead one more time, Sasuke felt her hand tugging on the hem of his shirt. The girl still had a strong grip and, by the way she was holding, it would take a long time for her to let go. Still, it was already something good. She was reacting. Slowly but still reacting.

" Sakura... Are you hurt?"

She shook her head shyly and negatively.

" and whose is this blood?"

Her emeralds started to look to the right and, trembling, the pinkette lifted her index finger to point at a spot on his right side. A spot that, surely, wasn't empty.

Following her movement, his dark pearls were quickly surprised by a dead body next to her, hidden by a blue curtain. The body was dark and exhaled that same odor from before. There was some blood on its side and, when Sasuke pulled the blue fabric to check the head, the Uchiha saw that whoever had killed that thing, had done it right. The head had been exploded. The brain had been turned into crushed parts, which were laying on the floor right next to the defibrillator and some medical utensils. It was a terrible scene to be seen, specially because the body belonged to a kid, a boy, to be more precise. Perhaps he already knew why she was in the state she was.

Returning his attention to her, Sasuke was surprised to see her already staring at him. Her emeralds were filled with tears and her mouth was trembling a lot. Her expression showed an unexplainable guilt and shame. And that was when he finally understood what had happened. Sakura had killed that boy. He must have turned into a human eater and attacked her and her team of nurses for she was all alone on that floor. She must have killed him and, since she wasn't aware of the latest discoveries, the girl was still thinking she had killed a person. No, not a person, a child.

Softening his expression, Sasuke brought her close and leaned her head on his chest. Sakura was sobbing a lot and he felt his shirt getting soaked immediately. He was slowly running his fingers around her hair as if showing her that it was okay. And it was. It was not like she had killed a living being. Sakura had done the right thing, she just didn't know about it yet.

" it's okay... It's okay... You did the right thing..."

" I'm sorry..."

" don't be... It's okay..."

" I-I'm sorry... I should have listened you... I shouldn't have been so stubborn."

" you will always be stubborn, Sakura... Hn, just be quiet for some moments... You don't have to tell me anything..."

" t-thank you... Thank you, Sasuke-kun..."

In that moment, the pinkette buried her head on his chest and cried uncontrollably. She was hugging him tight and he knew she would never want to talk about that scene. And he would respect her wish. He and the rest of their team. They would support her until she could overgrown that trauma, just like she had done before. Sakura was a strong girl, and they all knew she would be fine. She would be stronger and ready to battle again. But, on that moment, she really needed him by her side to caress her while she cried it all out. She was really grateful for that. Even if her time was almost over, having him close during that moment was already perfect.

Once the sensei, followed by the blond, returned to the room, they all nodded to Sakura and weakly smiled after knowing she was fine. They were really relieved, yet, it was no time for celebration. The village would be infested soon if they didn't do anything. And the consequences would be immeasurable, not only for the Sound, but for the whole world. They had to do something.

" I've sent Konoha an emergency message. We just need to wait for an answer. We will wait here."

" but what about the other people, Kakashi-sensei?"

" Naruto's right. We can't let them die."

" we have to help."

" well, it's unanimous. We are helping those people. In the name of Konoha and for the sake of humanity."

 _ **End of the Chapter**_


	4. Chapter 4

A scream was heard. A deafening, singular and desperate scream echoed around the streets of the village, causing every single heart to race in despair. From the intensity of such scream, nothing good could come after it. And it didn't.

The only thing that came after that voice, was panic and chaos and people running from certain locations of the village. They were coming out from the alleys and slamming on their neighbors' doors in search of help. But not all of the doors would open. Most of them wouldn't open due to the fear of the panic that had settled around their lives. Some of them would simply open because there were people running out from what was inside. Fathers were infected. Mothers were bitten. And children- oh, the innocent children- never showed any resistance against those who had raised them with all the love in the world. "They were still their parents". Even if such thing wasn't a reality anymore, it wouldn't be possible to explain such thing to a frightened kid. And that was why a considerable number of children couldn't be saved. They didn't think there was something to be saved from, but it was clear that something evil had been spread around the Sound.

Following the initiative of the four Leaf shinobis, the ninjas of the sound decided to help their people. Their plan- if that could be called a plan- was to escort people to their houses or just to put them on a high place where those monsters couldn't catch them. It worked for the first moments but, as the chakra molders were also joining the undead army, not even the roofs were safe anymore. Doors were easily broken and they also became faster. Even if they didn't use any hand seal, just those few increased conditions were enough to make their situation even worse.

The ninja squads were quickly reduced and, to decrease even more the morale of those who were still frightened, the leader of the Village still hadn't pronounced himself. Not only that. The old ruler hadn't sounded the alarm or opened the emergency shelter. It felt like he was hiding from the whole thing. And such feeling would definitely make the living troops lose the war to those abominations. The soon to be 6th Hokage of the Leaf had to do something.

" Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke. We need to go check the main building. We need to sound the alarm and take the survivors to a safe place."

" the Otokage still hasn't made any move. The ninjas are getting unmotivated and we will be screwed if they stop fighting."

" Hn, I will kill every single coward who dares to run away."

" Tch, you're not killing anyone, Teme..."

" let them try to run away and I will!"

" Sasuke..."

" shut up you two! We need to focus!"

" Hn."

" Tch."

" what's the plan, Kakashi-sensei?"

" first, we are going after the Otokage and tell him to help his people. Just then we can think about the rest."

" understood."

" Hn, let's go."

" Yosh! I'll open the path."

" I'll help."

" me too!"

" you stay back, Sakura. That's an order."

" you're not my superior, Sasuke!"

" guys, the couple can fight later. Now let's go!"

In a blink of an eye, the team 7 left their hidden spot and offensively headed to the main building of the village. They spotted some defenseless people and made sure to help them reaching a safe place, away from those who were trying to eat them. If not for Naruto's shadow clones, their mission would have failed doubtlessly. The blonde was, just like in the 4th Shinobi war, an unstoppable machine of kindness and irresponsibility. But he would never change.

After crossing countless dead bodies and after seeing all the 53 organs of the human body spread around the streets, the four ninjas finally reached their destination. They realized that the main door was closed and, in order to avoid any possible invasion of those monsters, the ninjas decided to climb up to the main balcony. It would save them time and would keep that protection against anything that wanted to get in or wanted to get out.

Passing through the only open window of the office, the three men and the girl were soon welcomed with that same rotten smell that had impregnated the whole village. They saw blood marks on the walls and many personal belongings thrown on the dark carpet of that dark office. There was a dead body of a guard laying behind the central desk and, as soon as it was discovered, Kakashi destroyed the brain just in case it decided to return to life. Something didn't seem right, and the murderous silent of that place and that dead person inside were enough to keep their guard up.

" there is something in here..."

" Hn... Stay back, Sakura..."

" leave me alone, Sasuke..."

" be careful, you two!"

After the shocking state in which the girl had been found not that long ago, the Uchiha started to be extremely overprotective towards her. He thought she was still a little shaken by the latest news and that her abilities weren't completely recovered. So, in order to protect her, Sasuke was constantly pulling her back and ending her fights for her. And such thing simply pissed the pinkette off. Sakura didn't want to be a bother to him. She wanted to help. And she was ready to prove him that her mind had completely recovered its sanity. She wouldn't watch them from behind again.

" it's coming from the corridor..."

" cover me, I'll open the door."

" exactly, you open the door and I'll hit him with the kunai, Teme." The blonde smirked.

" Hn, in your dreams... I'll be faster than you... As always."

" on the count of three, you two."

" fine, Kakashi-sensei."

" Hn."

They took a deep breath.

1

Naruto firmed his grip on the kunai.

2

Sasuke clenched his fist.

3

They all acted together.

The Uchiha opened the door quickly and the blonde, followed by their sensei, turned their eyes to each side of the corridor. The right one was empty, but, on the left one, a grotesque scene was being played. The three men froze as soon as their eyes met such disgusting were two men. Both of them dead, but only one still moving.

The one who still hadn't returned to life was laying on the ground, with his thorax ripped apart and with all his guts escaping the limits of his skin. There was blood all over his body, but his face was still untouched. It was the Otokage. And he was, literally, being eaten.

" at least now we know why he didn't do anything..."

" Naruto!" They glared at him.

In such dense atmosphere, the one getting his lunch finally made eye contact with the Leaf shinobis. The creature had his eyes filled with veins and his mouth was all covered in blood. His teeth were still holding pieces of what seemed to be the Otokage's intestines and his ears we're completely destroyed, showing his brain to anyone who dared to look at him. That man, or, better saying, creature, seemed to be really hungry. And four shinobis would make him a satisfied undead.

Once he stood up, his height could be measured. He was a tall man. Tall and strong and full of desire to kill. And, since thinking was out of question for him, the former man let out a furious growl and ran towards the three men. But none of them did anything. They were still too shocked trying to think about a way of destroying his brain. A simple knife wouldn't be enough to trespass such strong head. At least not without the necessary strength.

Coming from behind the Uchiha, Sakura pulled her kunai and, with a little help from her monstrous strength, the girl managed to trespass the skull of that infected man. The weapon made a hole in his forehead and just stopped when it reached the wall some meters behind him. It had been a really good shot, and she would definitely use it as an argument for when her boyfriend started a discussion again.

" ... I'll never train with you again, Sakura-chan."

" thank you, Naruto." She smirked.

" Hn, don't get too cocky."

" I'm not cocky! You are. Hn, but now, I've proved you I'm fine. Don't need to worry about me anymore."

" oh, really? I don't think so."

" and why not?"

" because this one was easy."

" then why didn't you kill him, Sasuke-kun?"

She winked at him, making their blonde best friend laugh just a little bit too much than necessary. Those kids would never grow up. Kakashi already knew how that would end. He knew his raven haired student would trick the girl and make something inappropriate, making her blush and smack him on the head. His students were predictable in his eyes, after all, they spent almost their whole lives together as a team. They knew each other. And that was why the gray haired man left them teasing the girl and went to look for the papers he needed. It should be on the Otokage's desk, he assumed. And he was right. They were right there. The maps, the trails and the traps. All that he needed to do was sound the alarm. But it wouldn't be that simple.

" Next time you grab me from behind like this, Sasuke, I will make you wish you were bitten!"

" Hn, you didn't have to slap so hard..."

" you deserved, Teme."

" guys. I've found the papers. Did you take care of the Otokage's body?"

" yes. He won't come back, I assure you."

" uh, Kakashi-sensei... Can I take a look at the body of that infected man? I want to know if there is something I can do to reverse this condition."

" later you can do it. For now, we have to sound the alarm and take people to the emergency shelter."

" Tch, then what are we waiting for? I can do it,-ttebayo!"

The blonde quickly approached the switch and placed his hand on it. Pulling it would be really easy, but it would also be something stupid to be done. Luckily, his friends stopped him on time.

" no!" They all screamed.

" uh? Why not?"

" you idiot, pull it and they will all be attracted to it!"

" Hn, we won't be able to leave this building if you do this, Dobe."

" they're right, Naruto. We'll have to do it from a safe distant."

"... Tch, just because I wanted to pull it."

" and you will. Mind leaving a shadow clone behind?"

" ... I didn't think about it... You're a genius, Sakura-chan!"

" I know I am."

" not at all..."

She glared at the Uchiha. The sensei sighed and, soon, a grinning shadow clone was standing right next to the switch. The alarm would lure those creatures towards the main building, giving the ninjas some time to run and save as many people as they could. It was a good plan, for sure. It would make many innocent people survive and it would give a direction to the ninjas who had no idea of what they had to do. They had a hope to treasure. And they would do anything to keep that hope alive until all the deads could return to their silent sleep.

 _ **End of the Chapter**_


	5. Chapter 5

The sound attracted them as a single drop of blood attracts a hungry shark in the vast ocean. They were coming from all the corners of the village and it was visible that their number had increased considerably. Faces disfigured, bones exposed and a red trail of death being left behind. They were already 1/3 of the total population of the Sound. And the prognostic didn't seem to be positive.

Running against the flow of the undeads, the four shinobis of the hidden village of the Leaf were doing their best to reach one of the many emergency shelters. They were spreading the plan to all the ninjas who were on the streets and to all the villagers who were desperately running aimlessly and screaming for help. The population was in panic. Their leader was dead. Families were literally eating each other. Nothing more than chaos was expected in a situation like that, still, if the ones left simply gave up and abandoned their lives, then not only the Sound but also all the villages nearby would be infected. And, slowly, if not stopped, the whole ninja world.

Even if most of that horde was slowly going towards the main tower, the ones whose eyes captured an innocent piece of meat decided to pursue their preys. They would walk after an already disturbed person until she complicated her situation by entering a dead end alley. This person would be doomed. And, after a deafening scream, two creatures would walk out of that alley in search of food to kill their insatiable hunger. It didn't seem to have a solution. It didn't seem to have a light in the end of that tunnel.

In the midway between their current location and the emergency refuge, the team 7 tried its best to save the ones who crossed their way. Even if the Uchiha wanted to reach their destination as soon as possible, Naruto would never leave someone behind. It was already hard enough for him not to search for survivors around the whole village. So, in order not to put anyone from the team in danger, the nine tails vessel had to get used to save just the ones who crossed their sight. And those were usually surrounded by a small group of infected former human beings. Once they got separated from the big group, it was easier to put an end to their miserable condition. Still, killing them all was hard for just four experts in the ninja arts. They would have to suffer with a lot of losses. Death would be inevitable.

Jumping on the rooftops of the Sound and trying to keep the battle in a certain distance, the three men and the girl did all they could to warn the ones about the plan. Some would agree and follow the evacuation routes. Some would just lock their houses and end their lives before the worse. But, among all of those who had a choice, the group found one special victim who wouldn't have been lucky enough if their ears hadn't caught her scream. That little girl would have, certainly, died by the hands of the people who were once her parents.

Kakashi was the first to hear her scream. It came from a house that was about to get invaded by a group of 7 horrendous monsters. They were breaking the wooden windows using their hands to try to push their bodies inside. Those brainless had, literally, obstructed the front door. And such thing would be helpful for the squad team of the Leaf.

" there is a girl in there. She needs help!"

" I'm going too, Naruto!"

" wait, what about the shelter? We have to go before they close the door."

" Sasuke is right. We can't just go in."

" Kakashi-sensei, what if we split? You and Sasuke go ahead and hold that door while Naruto and I save that girl. I'm sure we can all make it this way."

" I agree with Sakura-chan."

" no."

" uh? Why not, Sasuke?"

" I'm not leaving you behind again. If you go, I'll follow. I will protect you."

" don't be like that now, Sasuke. She needs our help."

" Hn, and that's why I'm going with you while Naruto and Kakashi go hold the door before those ninjas of the Sound lock us out."

" Sasuke-kun..."

" uh? Are you sure, Sasuke?"

" Hn."

" are you sure you can save her, Teme?"

" Hn. I'm not going alone."

" fine. You two be careful. I'm giving you ten minutes. Go and meet us at the shelter at the mountain. It's just ahead."

" save that girl, okay?"

Leaving a grin behind, the whiskered boy, disappeared among his sensei. They both knew that neither the special ninjas of the Sound nor the terrified villagers would let that gate opened for too long. So, just to make sure of the whole team's survival- because Naruto and Kakashi knew that Sasuke and Sakura would make it- the two most convincing ninjas of the group went ahead.

At the same moment the ninja couple was left alone, they rushed to the house where the feminine voice was coming from. Seeing the blocked way in front of them, the Uchiha held his kusanagi on his right hand and charged for a quick, silent and deadly hit. Using his chidori was out of question during that moment because the cry of a thousand birds would only attract a thousand creatures to the place where they were. It was all a matter of not making any mistake, for it would decide whether they lived or died.

The undead were literally cut into many pieces in a matter of seconds, leaving a vivid red stain on the sword and, on the ground, parts of their remaining bodies that would never have the chance to capture another walking prey. That cold and dirty ground would be the place where their souls would finally be set free. Some would have their throat sliced and others would just have the perfect whole in the head. Yet, all the dead victims of the boy would be, at least, recognizable. In the other hand, the pinkette's, due to the girl's enormous strength, could be barely differed from each other. Sakura would charge all her chakra in her fists so she could penetrate the skull and damage the brain. Normally, just injecting her amount of chakra in the head of a person would be enough to destroy the nervous system, but, since she didn't have time to find the right point on each dead head, using brutal force and staining her fists was her only choice. Even if her boyfriend thought it was too risky, Sakura had no choice. It was punching or watching from behind. And she wasn't the girl who just watches anymore.

" Sasuke-kun! I think there must be more inside!"

" Hn. I'll go in. Stay here and tell me if you see something."

" what!? No way! I'm going in too! If they see me out there, we will be doomed!"

" Tch... Then stay close. And don't hesitate on leaving me behind."

" yeah, like I would ever do it, Sasuke."

With a slight smirk on his face, the Uchiha and his girlfriend, once the carnage of the dead was concluded outside, ran inside the house. The place itself was small and full of old and antique furniture. There weren't many separate rooms, which gave them a wide vision of the place and its possible hide spots. Even if the sunlight didn't enter that destroyed home, the noises of those creatures and the rotten smell were already enough to lead the two ninjas to where the victim had been trapped. There were two human eaters inside, pressing their bodies against a wooden shelf, where a girl was hiding behind and creating an opposing force to keep them as far as possible. Different from them, her strength had a limit. And it was almost reaching its end.

"Stop! Mom, Dad! Help me! Please! Anybody!"

" Sasuke!"

" I got that!"

In a synchronized move, Sasuke and Sakura threw some kunais at each living dead in order to call their attention. It worked. With anger in their blinded eyes and hunger on their bloody teeth, the two creatures that resembled a man and a woman started to run after the ninja couple. With an abnormal strength, they came crashing all the furniture aside and grunting just like two wild animals in search of food. And the two ninjas were food.

Due to the minimized space, a large range attack wouldn't be the best of the choices, so, in a blink of an eye, the raven haired boy took his sword and the girl held a sharp kunai. The possible strategies weren't many. A group attack wouldn't have any particular effect in such a small area. And the time was passing at each step taken by those deadly infected. Perhaps it wasn't time to think. It was time to act.

Breaking the wall behind her with a punch, the pinkette lured the living dead woman to the outside, where her moves wouldn't be delimited by four walls and where she wouldn't be on the Uchiha's way. Sakura was aware that his moves could be easily performed in a short space. He didn't need to dodge as much as she did. He didn't need as much time as she did to end a fight. But he needed to pay attention on her. And all that waiting would just drive the raven haired boy insane.

Even if his own fight wasn't finished, Sasuke couldn't stop looking through the whole on the wall to see how the pinkette was doing. He needed to make sure she would be fine and, in case of an emergency, he needed to be alert not to let her get bitten. His overprotective side was flourishing too much on that particular mission. And it was right to be. After all, the chances of seeing someone ripping off her guts and, literally, taking her heart out of her body, weren't inexistent. Sasuke needed to make sure she would survive, even if it costed his own life. But, paying more attention to her own fight almost ended all his heroic way of thinking. And, dying by the hands of those creatures would be just meaningless if her life wasn't the final reward.

In a split of second, when his dark pearls peeked through the whole and he saw her fist ready to perform an attack, the living dead man threw his body over Sasuke's, making them both fall on the wooden floor. The only thing keeping them apart was the sword that had been stuck in between. The blade was pressed against the pale skin of the Uchiha heir's arm and, due to the pressure made by the hungry body over him, his own blood was being wasted. The wound created was getting worse by the seconds and the smell of fresh and pure blood was just driving the creature insane. His jaw was opening and closing each second faster and his hands were violently trying to grab the boy's living body. The death smell coming from his mouth was just enough to leave anyone sick, and Sasuke was having the privilege to feel that scent invading his nostrils and disturbing his senses. The Uchiha was in a serious danger at that moment. His sword was almost reaching his bone and his clothes were already soaked in that creature's blood. It was a horrible feeling of impotence as his strength was slowly disappearing. Still, the vision of that girl fighting alone with those things, was the one thing that kept him moving. Sasuke couldn't let them kill that smile that belonged only to him. He still had a lot to do for her in his life.

The one thing that saved his life was the last gift left by his brother before he died. The Uchiha activated his Mangekyou Sharingan and threw the eternal dark flames on the body that was over him. Once the painful scream of the burning infected escaped those putrefied lips, Sasuke was able to push him away and, in a merciless move, crave the sword on that rotten head. Taking precautions was never too much in a moment like that even if the Amaterasu would burn that corpse until it was turned into ashes. Once again his brother had saved his life. Once again he did it for her.

Without even bothering to look at his wound, the Uchiha rushed outside to see how his girl was. His eyes widened when they saw blood dripping from her fists and a deformed body of a woman some 7 meters away. The pinkette was panting and her clothes were also stained in blood, but, by the victorious grin she had on her lips, Sasuke knew she was fine. They both were.

" Sasuke-kun!"

She said almost in panic.

"have you been bitten? Did he hurt you? I saw it all and I couldn't help you..."

The look in her eyes showed fear and her hands were shaking madly. Maybe it was because of the fight but, knowing her, the main reason was her heart at such unease. Sakura also kept a close eye on him. She never stopped looking. The girl was, just like him, an overprotective girlfriend who wouldn't let him die before she did. And for that, he was thankful.

" I'm okay... Let's get that girl and go back to the others..."

" but your arm!"

" Hn"

He smirked, kissing her lips.

" heal me when we get there."

With a faint blush on her cheeks, Sakura followed him inside where they found a traumatized girl behind a shelf. By looking at her, they concluded that she was probably about their age, with black hair and brown eyes. Her body was curled up in a ball and her eyes were full of tears streaming down her face. She was completely shocked and it was easy to see that she wouldn't be able to walk. So, brutally taking her off the ground, the Uchiha held her body up and swung it over his shoulders. There was no time to be careful anymore. They had to hurry. And that girl wouldn't stay on their way.

Running as fast as they could, the two dirty ninjas were jumping on the rooftops in order to reach the mountain hideout before the sunset. By the look from above, all the streets were empty and the village seemed a desert place. The only moving things around were those creatures who had, luckily, found a dead body to eat. It was a horrendous vision to be seen, specially when the victim's guts got stuck on their teeth. Still, it was not the time for being sick out of such thing. It was time to meet the others. And, after what they had been through, such task seemed to be the easiest one.

Once the main gate of the shelter could be seen, four pair of eyes widened in relief. It was still opened and their two team mates were standing there on the main door. Naruto and Kakashi had made it. On that moment, things would be better for them. Or that was what they thought.

" Sakura-chan! Sasuke-Teme! Let's go! You took so long!"

" we've made it, Sasuke-kun!"

" Hn, let's hurry then..."

Using their last amount of chakra, the two ninjas started to run towards their loud blonde friend. The sound of their ninja shoes against the dirty ground of the street was the only thing that could be heard at that moment by such harmed ears. It was really a peculiar sound. But, from four feet making the same sound, it suddenly became only two.

When the Uchiha saw the widened eyes of his blonde friend, he knew something had happened to the pinkette. And he was right. Turning as fast as he could, the Uchiha found a man dressed as a ninja of the sound, punching her right in the stomach. The hit had really been strong for she chocked before fainting completely. The vision of her emerald eyes closing was just too much for the raven haired boy. Sasuke was going to kill that ninja, but, due to his exhaustion and the dead weight he was carrying, the Uchiha couldn't do anything to prevent that man from escaping with his girlfriend. It all happened too fast. In a moment she was right behind him, and, in another, she was being carried away by an unknown man. There was no way he would let that happen. But that decision wasn't only his.

" Sakura! You bastard, I'm gonna kill you!"

" Sakura-chan! Let's go, Sasuke!"

" you two, stop right there!"

" Ka-Kakashi-sensei? He's going away, we need to rescue her!"

" Hn. You two can barely walk. You won't be able to save her... That man was an elite ninja of the Sound. She will be fine."

" no! I'm not taking your orders."

" Hn. And what about this girl on your shoulder, Sasuke?"

" Sakura is more important."

" and how are you intending to find him? I'm sure you can't feel her chakra and that wound on your arm won't let you use any move. Go inside. We will find her tomorrow."

"... Kakashi-sensei is right, Sasuke... We will find her in the morning."

" Tch... Even you, Naruto..."

Glaring deadly at his two team mates, Sasuke handled the girl to Naruto and stormed inside the emergency hideout. That place was already crowded and he saw many couples holding hands and comforting each other. There was a place only for the injured people, where there were some medic ninjas doing the best that they could. Still, among those lovers and among the medics, the girl could be found nowhere. Her pink hair was missing, and it just let him furious. But, once his chakra returned, he would go after her. Even if he had to do it alone. The wound in his arm wouldn't be touched by anyone that not her.

Stubbornly, the raven haired boy went to look for a private place where he could think. He found an empty corner inside that cave where he ended up spending some good hours alone. Her image on his head making him company. And that was enough for him at that moment, but, whenever he wanted to be alone the most, there would always be that one thing ready to annoy him. It was always like that. Most of the times would be the pinkette, but, when he wanted it to be her the most, he found himself sharing some time with the one girl they had saved early. Sakura would be happy to see her walking and, apparently, fine.

" Uh... You are the one who saved me, right?"

He didn't answer.

" uh... Thank you... I've heard that they took your girlfriend and I'm feeling really guilty right now... Can I do anything for you?"

" leave me alone."

Pouting, the girl still hadn't given up. She stared at his angelic features and, by the light of a distant torch, she saw how beautiful that young man was. The line of his chin and such dazzling eyes. Immediately, she felt attracted to him, and, due to how shaken her feeling still were, that Sound girl wouldn't measure efforts to get what she wanted.

" your arm... Let me heal it."

She said, taking his arm by force.

" I'm a medical ninja in training... I guess I can do something for you."

" no."

" uh?"

" she's the one healing it."

" don't be stubborn. It will only get infected. Let me heal it."

" I said no!"

" but I said yes!"

With determination in her eyes, the girl passed through his deadly glare and healed his wound. The warmth wasn't the same as when Sakura did it. It was colder, lifeless. It just didn't feel right. But, once it was over, he saw the difference between the touches. It was written all over her face.

" Hn... You're welcome."

" I told you not to heal it. I told you not to do anything!"

" but I can't help it... You've saved me... Now I'm willing to do anything for you..."

With a sudden move, the girl moved her hand over his pants, provocatively, until she was touching his manhood. That girl, who was smirking at that moment, didn't know how dangerous it was to play with that Uchiha. Specially with an Uchiha whose heart was already taken. Barely she knew the mess she was about to get in.

" anything..."

That girl was ambitious, and, in a crucial moment like that, she could easily end up killing her whole group. That girl was really a problem. And, as all his problems, he would have to solve it before anything worse happened, to him, to his friends or to the girl he loved.

 _ **End of the Chapter**_


	6. Chapter 6

His dark pearls were widened and his mouth went agape as he looked at the girl who was kneeled in front of him. Her eyes were, ineffectually, trying to seduce him as her body slowly approached him in a kind of wavy way in an attempt to awake an inexistent desire in the boy. Lastly, but definitely the one thing that was bothering him the most, her hand, which was still making contact with his lower parts. That girl, whatever her name was, needed to learn who she was messing with. His girlfriend wouldn't be happy at all if she knew about that ridiculous seduction try.

" What the hell are you doing? Take your hands off me! I have a girlfriend."

The raven haired boy hissed, brutally slapping her hand away from him. Sasuke wasn't intending to be polite with a girl like that. She had no kind of intimacy with the boy even to be breathing near him, let alone making contact with the part that made him a man. No matter what her intentions were, the Uchiha didn't plan to be flexible towards her.

" you don't have to be so old fashioned, Sasuke... I'm just trying to thank you for saving my life."

" you have an exotic way of thanking someone."

" I own you my life... I guess I could give you a good time in exchange... Come on... There is no one here."

She whispered, while approaching him. Lips curled, half opened eyes and her long hair falling to the sides and touching his arm. That girl knew exactly how to tease a man and, if the one standing in front of her wasn't the last Uchiha, her body would have already been taken. Unfortunately, for her, the whole thing wasn't making any effect at all. Perhaps it was only giving him a little bit of nausea.

" stay back. I have a girlfriend already and I don't need any other woman."

" I don't know who she is... But I heard she was taken by a ninja... Are you worried about her?"

" of course I am."

" well... Don't be... With the infection around and for being a woman... Your girlfriend is probably dea-"

Dry, sharp and fast was what her cheek felt as soon as his hand made contact with it. Sasuke had had enough. He could bare the fact of a girl throwing herself on him. He could even remain his sanity while she insinuated inappropriate things on his body. But, playing with the possibility of the pink haired girl to be cold as a corpse, was unforgivable. At that moment, the Uchiha didn't care if she was just afraid, if she had been raised that way or even if she was a woman. No one could ever say anything like that about the girl he loves.

" Don't you dare repeating such bullshit again. You don't know her. She's strong and she is smart and she can defend herself."

The girl remained quiet and in the same place where her body had been left after the shock. A hand over the red spot on her cheek, frightened eyes and an agape mouth. She certainly wasn't expecting that. At that moment, the girl felt anger towards him, mixing a little bit of indignation and euphoria. Her eyes wouldn't leave him not even for a second and her body refused to run away. That boy, in her way of thinking, was surely intense. And that was why she found him so interesting.

" go back to your people and leave me alone. Tomorrow, when I bring Sakura back, you stay away from her. Don't come near my friends and the people I care about. Go back to the hole where you shouldn't have left."

Never, after his return to the Leaf, had the boy glared so deadly like that. His eyes were piercing through her heart and they showed a certain desire to kill. Of all the people that girl could have chosen to tease, the Uchiha was definitely the most dangerous one. And it surely made him the most desired by her insane heart. At that moment, she fell in love with him.

" ... So Sakura is her name... H-How is she? Why did you choose her? Do you really love her?"

" this is none of your business. Stay away from me."

" please! Tell me why her! Why can't it be me, Sasuke!?"

In a steric impulse, her voice came out as a scream and her whole body started to shake. She was in pain. A deep pain that only he could, but never would, stop. He would never love her back. This part was pretty obvious for any person with a little bit of sanity. But she wasn't any of those people. She believed she could steal him away from his girlfriend and end that pain in her chest. She would give all she had and she would do anything to achieve her insane objective. No matter how dangerous or how illogic it could be, she would do it for him.

" you have wasted my time. I'm going back."

In the moment when the Uchiha saw the tears falling from her eyes, he decided that it was time for him to leave and go look for the rest of his team. He stood back on his feet and, from a higher level, he looked at the one almost crawling towards him. Pathetic, he thought. Such an inferior creature almost begging for him to love her back and use her body as he pleased. That woman was really low. And his eyes were tired of looking at her.

" wait, Sasuke... Wait!"

" I have nothing to talk anymore. Now be gone."

Once he started to take his way back towards the others, the girl, in a reflexive way, threw herself forward in an attempt to cling on his leg. But, instead of having her cheek pressed against his pants, it was pressed against a cold and hard rock. At the moment she threw herself, Sasuke wasted no time before easily dodging it. The Uchiha didn't care if she would be, literally, at his feet. Nothing would make him have any compassion towards that person. Not even the disapproval look his blonde friend was shooting him at that moment.

" what are you doing, Sasuke?"

Naruto had showed up, hurriedly, after hearing a scream followed by his best friend's name. Nobody knew if those caves were completely safe yet, so, once the possibility of the Uchiha being in trouble appeared, the Uzumaki wasted no time before running after him. Fortunately, everything seemed okay, but, in his light blue eyes, there was something really wrong happening there.

" Hn. Nothing. Let's go meet Kakashi."

" Kakashi-sensei is discussing the next strategy with some jounins."

" let's just get out of here."

" aren't you helping her?"

" no. That's where she belongs. Come on."

A momentary rage built inside Naruto when he saw the raven haired boy walking away without giving him any answer. From someone who knew nothing about what had happened, seeing a woman in tears and broken on the ground was something unforgivable. And, for that, Naruto hoped his friend had a good reason to give him before they started to fight.

The whiskered boy quickly followed his hot headed friend in search of answers. He called his name repeatedly only for, on the fifth time, receive a deadly glare from the one whose fists were clenched. Naruto knew that whatever had happened back then had made Sasuke lose control. And having a furious Uchiha around in times like that would certainly be a problem. Sasuke would have to calm down, wether he liked or not.

" Oi, Teme!"

Naruto hissed, holding his friend's collar neck and pressing him against the rocky wall.

" what the hell happened back there? What did you do to that girl!?"

" I didn't do anything to that bitch! She started to throw herself on me!"

" so what!? This doesn't mean you should throw her on the ground!"

" you weren't there, Naruto. I told her to stop more than once but..."

He bit his lip.

" but what...?"

" but I lost control when she said Sakura was dead."

The eyes of the Uchiha aimed the ground in an anger mode. It was visible that he felt guilty for not being able to save her. He told her he would protect her but, at that time, not even her location was known by him. Sasuke felt like he owned her an apology and just the idea of not being able to tell her so, was enough to drive him insane. And his best friend understood him. He really did. The Uzumaki was also worried about the pinkette to the point where he considered running away and finding her in the middle of the night. They missed her. Both of them. Worrying about someone you love is something natural and, if anyone dared to say something pessimist about it, he or she would never be forgiven.

Letting go off the Uchiha, Naruto sighed and ran a hand across his golden locks. That whole situation was starting to become even more troublesome now that they were separated from Sakura. They needed to find her as soon as possible. Only then they would be able to move on with their sensei's strategy.

" Tch..."

" Hn. Did Kakashi tell you something about the plan?"

" he said something about a barrier... Perhaps he wants to make sure none of those things get out. I guess we will be stuck here until the last of those things are gone."

"... I'm taking her out."

A breeze passed through them as the words simply came out from his lips. Sasuke knew she wouldn't agree with him or even cooperate. But he just couldn't help seeing her hurt by one of those things. He would save her. Even if she ended up hating him.

" what did you say?"

" I said that I'm taking her out before she gets hurt."

" you know too well what her answer will be... Besides, we need her. We can protect her, Sasuke."

" Hn. She will understand."

" Sakura-chan will not understand."

" Damn, Naruto, can't you see that I don't care about her opinion? I just want her to be safe..."

"..."

A deafening silence surrounded them for an instance before the blonde could think about a way of convincing his best friend that nothing bad would happen to that girl. He needed to remind the Uchiha about what he was capable of. About what they were capable of. They would protect her and everyone else just like before. And they would start with the people who were in that cave.

When Naruto was about to try another argument, a scream was heard coming from the depths of the cave. A scream that belonged to a man that, probably, had just lost his life. The sound was terrifying. And nothing good could come from a scream like that.

" what the hell was that?"

" Hn. Why don't you look at it yourself?"

The Uchiha's finger slowly rose, pointing at a certain direction. It was a dark place where nothing could be seen at first, but, after some seconds, their ears captivated the sound of mixed grunts. It resembled them of the sound of hunger and disaster. And that was exactly what it meant.

From the darkness of that cave, a small group of 5 of those unclassified things was, slowly, approaching. All of them with a different kind of wound, yet equally mortal. There surely wouldn't be any time to relax.

" let's take care of them quickly. We don't want people knowing that this place isn't completely safe."

" they would go insane, for sure... At least now you can discount your anger on them, Teme..."

With a smirk playing on both of their faces, the two boys made sure to end the job as quick and as silent as possible. No chidori was allowed. No rasengan was used. It would be the old school way of getting rid of a pest. They approached the creatures with their weapons and, dodging the mouth and the nails, they were able to finish it all without anything worse than stained shirts and a terrible smell of decomposed corpses. The cold and deformed bodies were left hidden in a dark corner and, from that moment on, those two knew that they wouldn't be sleeping so soon. If they wanted to rescue the pinkette, they would have to be alive.

Across the village, almost in the opposite direction of the shelter in the caves, inside a colonial house, a girl with a hair colored in pink slowly started to regain her conscious. Her ears didn't hear any voice around her, just a disturbed sound coming from a person who was, probably, asleep. The atmosphere exhaled a peculiar smell that reminded her of the hospital morgue, in a mix of formaldehyde and moist. Her body didn't show any signs of deep wounds or poison, which meant she was okay. Her hands weren't touching anything in special for there was a rope keeping them together. Her feet were on the same situation. Finally, opening her stunning emerald eyes, Sakura discovered something that shocked her in all kinds of ways.

In the middle of that dark room, there were three beds, where three people had a fast breathing and towels on their foreheads. All of them with a particular part of their bodies bandaged. In the right corner, just some meters from where she was sitting, an iron cage with three of those creatures in a state of decomposing. They were looking at her as if she was food. They were looking at her with a killing desire in their blind eyes. She felt an extreme urge of crying in fear. Where in the world could she be?

 _ **End of the Chapter**_


	7. Chapter 7

The atmosphere around her was dense. Death and sickness filled that monotonous gray room and the only sound that could be heard was the heavy breath of the people who were laying on the beds. There was only one door in the room, which meant that her way out would be found behind it. She had to meet her friends as soon as possible, however, not even for her, such task would be easy. Sakura had no idea about the trouble she had gotten herself into.

The first thing that crossed her mind was pretty much the most obvious thing to be done. She had to get rid of the ropes that were tied to her writs and ankles. They were soaked in chakra- as always- and without the help of her weapons it would be a little hard to get rid of that. Her monstrous strength would help her, for sure, but it would take some time. And time wasn't completely on the girl's favor. There was something approaching her.

Slowly and tortuously, her emeralds followed as the whole thing happened. Rising from one of the beds, a white dressed figure, with a stature that barely reached the pinkette's chest and with a long hair that followed its body line until the lower back. Even if the figure seemed a lot like a ghost, it was a human. A little girl, to be exact. Bandaged shoulder, bare feet touching the cold ground and true intentions hidden in the expression she was wearing under those honey colored locks. Was she a friend? An enemy? Or, in the worst scenario, one of those creatures? Sakura didn't know. But she wouldn't wait for the answer to come and bite her.

" Fuck..."

As the girl numbly made her way towards the medic nin, Sakura started to gather her chakra in her wrists and ankles as fast as possible. The one who had bathed the ropes in chakra knew what he was doing when he decided to tie the pinkette's members. It wasn't the work of an amateur, for it refused to succumb to her brutal force. None of the knots was loosening and the distance between her and the unknown was getting shorter. She could hear the other creatures- the three others inside the cage- getting restless. They could feel the presence of the human flesh approaching and, if their salivary glands were still functioning, those hungry creatures would be drooling. Methane escaping their decomposed mouthes and filling the air with an unbearable and morbid scent. Their grunts exposed a little of how their voices used to sound when they were alive. Communication was no longer known by them. Those living dead just knew how to eat, preferably something showered in blood. Those things were getting excited by those two living bodies in front of them. Unfortunately, none of them would have the chance to try a slice of the pink haired girl nor of the ghostly presence who was just some meters away from her. The rope finally gave up.

After giving up on her ankles, Sakura focused all her forces on her wrists and broke the chakra chain that was holding her. In a blink of an eye, the cherry blossom girl used her free hands as supporters and managed to perform some acrobatics to get as far as possible from both the girl and the creepy cage. Sakura was safe, for the moment. But, after freeing her ankles with her hands and positioning herself for a possible battle, her emeralds noticed something unusual. The girl, instead of stopping and changing directions, kept following the same path. Her body seemed to be unable to keep a straight line and most of her senses seemed to be gone. She probably wasn't listening to the grunts or she would definitely have turned around. Her eyes were probably blinded for she was heading straight to the cage of monsters. Was she one of them? If so, why were they gathering at the bars so desperately? There was something she did not understand going on there, and it wasn't until she had her attention back to where the beds were splayed that fear hit her heart.

Responding to her reflexes, the girl's emerald eyes turned to where a metallic noise came from. A sound so unexpectedly loud if considered that was originated from an arm being hit against the bed cold and gray skeleton. The noise created expressed nothing but despair. The despair of an old man with a long white beard hugging his old features. He was wearing something similar to the girl and, when he lifted his arm to point, Sakura saw that it was also bandaged near his elbow. But none of it mattered at that time. His eyes were the great stars of the show. They were a kind of diluted light blue and there tears pooling on them as he looked at the kunoichi and then at the child. He was trying to say something. He was trying to stand up. But only one of his two wishes came true. Luckily the girl was able to captivate the message.

It was hard at first but, after seeing how hurt the old man looked like, Sakura already knew everything. The little girl was not one of those things. She wasn't an enemy either. She was just a defenseless child in the middle of a chaotic world. Letting the worse happening to her would have been the most inhumane and coward thing someone could ever do. And, in a life of many regrets, the medic nin didn't want another one.

Recklessly and irresponsibly, the Konoha girl ran towards the little girl. Sakura could not let such young life go to waste. She couldn't let her screams resonate around the room and her blood be wasted like that. So, as if in slow motion, the pinkette threw herself towards the toddler, catching her petty body just some inches away from the longest of the arms that were passing through the cage. The girl was safe. Both of them were. They survived without a single, yet deadly, scratch. They would live, but one of them could still die at any moment.

In recoil to the ninja's brutal strength, both of the girls rolled around the floor as a snowball. In the end, a panting Sakura was left laying on the ground, with the little girl on top of her and with her small mouth pressed against the pinkette's arm. That long hair of hers was thrown aside and, finally, her angelical and feverish face was uncovered. With cheeks redder than normal and with a heartbeat clearly speeded up, it was certain that the toddler was suffering from a high level of the disease. Her temperature was probably around 104 Fahrenheit. She needed to be treated immediately. And Sakura was the right person for the job.

Taking the child in her arms, the pink haired ninja placed her back on the bed, on the opposite side of the room and next to that old man's own laying. Sakura realized how calmer his eyes were after that tense situation had ended. All that despair was replaced by a tired melancholy that was probably connected to the fact that the little girl was still sick, after all. And, seeing how that old man looked at her, it couldn't be a simple disease.

" t-thank you, miss... You've saved my granddaughter."

" ah... No problem, sir... Saving people is what I was trained to do. I am a medical ninja."

" I do hope you can save her... Save us all."

" aren't you feeling well right now?"

" I'm fine... I'm fine but I know what awaits for me and for my poor family."

"W-What do you mean...?"

A shiver went down her spine. And her answer came in the most unexpected way. The old man took a deep breath and, with his left hand, he unwrapped the fabric that was covering his right arm just to reveal the most grotesque and terrifying thing she had ever seen in someone's skin. A bite. A huge and deep bite, decorated by a lemon green pus, two tonalities of blood, ripped skin and an exposed bone. The veins around were all getting darker as a sign of gangrene and the smell coming from it was pretty similar to the smell that involved the whole village. It smelled like corpses; it smelled like death.

The girl's eyes widened immediately and she started to sweat cold. There was no possible way a dog could have done that. It needed to be treated immediately, but never in her life she has been trained to cure whatever those creatures were transmitting with their bites. Perhaps it was time to learn a little about it.

" oh my... I'll take a look at it, sir..."

" no... Not yet... Take care of her first... I beg you to save her life. I know what happens to those who are bitten..." He looked at the cage. He had found out in the worst possible way.

Withdrawing both of her lips, Sakura felt her heartbeat getting faster. Something like that couldn't have happened to her, right? She was so young and innocent. That bandage on her shoulder had to mean something else. But it didn't. It was exactly the same. All that blood and the putrefaction. That little girl was faded to experience the same pain as her grandfather. Their only chance of surviving was entirely on Sakura's hand. How she wanted her master around that time.

" oh crap... How did it..."

" we were getting ready to go to the shelter when one of those creatures found her and my daughter... I tried to save them, but, in the end, we got bitten..."

" and what about your daughter, sir...?"

" she didn't have a chance of escaping... She threw the child to me and..." He swallowed and a tear came down his face. " she was eaten in front of our eyes... It was terrible and I couldn't save my daughter! That's why I need to save the girl... She's the only thing left for me!"

The man started to cry uncontrollably after remembering what had happened earlier. No one deserves to see what he saw. No one deserves to hear what he heard. He was a brave man and she doubted he was the one to be blamed for separating Sakura from her team. He was condemned. And so was his granddaughter and the one laying on the other bed and probably the rest of the village. The pinkette had to do something. She had to, at least, try to find a cure for that epidemy. If she could cure one person, she would cure the whole village. It would be a great responsibility but someone had to take it.

" sir... I will do my best... I promise you."

" t-thank you, young lady... What is your name, by the way?"

" I am Haruno Sakura, from the hidden Leaf."

" Konoha uhm... My name is Mayuma Tanaka and my little princess is Mayuma Haruka... The one next to us is one of her uncles. He hasn't woken up yet."

" I see..."

Sakura knew who they were. Everyone in the Sound did. They were a powerful family that commanded the region's commerce. It was said that the family would measure no efforts on getting what they wanted. But, seeing the man who seemed to be the patriarch, Sakura doubted they could be so cruel and unscrupulous. It was clear that he loved his Haruka and his own daughter. He couldn't be that bad. And, for that, Sakura was ready to help him.

" Hn... Tell me a little bit more about what happened while I take a look at your granddaughter. Why am I here? And why didn't you go to the shelter?"

" okay... After we were bitten, my oldest son decided that we would stay here... I guess he must have heard about the medic ninja of the Leaf and went after you. Don't worry, he will feed you and give you everything that you need... I apologize for that... For taking you away from your friends... But I'm glad that you're here. I'm glad that you'll try. Thank you, Haruno-san."

" don't thank me. I don't know if I'll be able to save you yet but... I promise you I'll try. And then, I'll go back to my friends with a cure. Be sure of that."

" I like the way you think... Your friends must be proud of you... And, your boyfriend too."

" b-boyfriend? How did you know?"

" a girl so young and beautiful... It's just logical. I would love my son to have someone like you by his side. He needs to find someone who loves him and put him on the right track."

"... He will find someone someday... Don't worry."

" I just hope to be here to see it."

"... I'll do my best to save you..."

" I know you will..."

In a moment of silence, the pinkette focused all her efforts on the little girl. She used her chakra to relieve her from the fever and to try to identify the agent that was gonna make her change. Sakura was really going to try her hardest to cure that family. But it didn't mean that her guard was down. She knew those three people could turn into monsters in a second. And, once it happened, none of them would see her as a medic anymore. She would be food and nothing more. Sleeping would no longer be allowed if she wanted to live. She couldn't accept dying without seeing them again. She needed to know if his arms was still hurt. She needed to hug each one of them. But, for that, Sakura would have to be alive. And, at each second that passed, the situation got worse. The uncle had woken up. He had risen from the dead.

 _ **End of the Chapter**_


	8. Chapter 8

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Things were turning out worse than Sakura could have imagined. With two disabled people laying on their beds, a room without a single free exit, no weapons in her pocket and a hungry monster looking straight at her; the kunoichi of the team 7 was in a huge trouble.

Analyzing the whole situation made the girl realize that there weren't many options left for her. Abandoning the old man and the little girl, even if it was her best chance to get out of there alive, was completely out of question. Her stubborn heart and her honor as a medic ninja would never allow her to simply leave two innocent people to a death so painful and torturous as being eaten alive by those monsters. She wouldn't sacrifice two lives to give priority to her own. So, with such conclusion on her head, Sakura was left with only one option: fight.

Without her kunais or her shurikens or even her explosive tags, the medic nin was only left with her bare fists to bring down the creature in front of her. He had his white eyes locked on her and his teeth were already exposed as if he was a hungry dog. Apart from his lower leg-the place where he had been beaten-the skin of the uncle was mostly untouched. It was almost human if not for the paler coloration. He was the kind of person that if, somehow, an antidote was discovered, his body would be able to be recovered with a grafting for his leg. The undead that had infected him was surely hungry for his whole right calf had simply disappeared. The bleeding had, miraculously, stopped, but like the old man's bite, it was covered in pus and a purple-red coloration was spread around the leg. Muscles were hung by a small wire of skin and his bone was more than just exposed. The situation of his leg was critic, yet, just that leg wouldn't stop him from being a human. His uncontrollable wish for blood, however, would.

Observing the situation helped Sakura to have a better view of what was about to happen. The corner of her eyes captured Tanaka struggling to take his granddaughter from her bed so he could protect her. The man buried the child's head on his chest, and in a weak nod, guaranteed Sakura that she did not have to worry about them. The medic nin felt a certain relief for that, but once she was about to make her first move, the creature let out a huge scream that echoed in all the living hearts of that room, causing fear to mess all the senses and to slow down her reactions. When he finally started to run towards her, the rosette needed some moments to convince her feet to move. Fortunately, they did and she was able to throw the little girl's empty bed on him. Such move gave the medic the perfect time to push the bed with the two other people to a temporary safe place. It allowed her to stand face to face to a creature that saw her as a meat. There would be no running away any more.

 _'You can do it, Sakura.'_

Such words were working as a mantra in her head as her hands were forming fists on the sides of her body. At a time like that, not having a long distance technique was surely a disadvantage, but if she kept thinking like that, the Haruno girl would soon feel the monster's jaw ripping her skin. All she needed to remember was her training with the Godaime. Losing was not an option, especially because, if her team mates discovered she lost to an undead, they would never stop the jokes. She had to win to prove them wrong. She had to win to see them again.

Another raging attack was coming towards her, and on that time, the rosette evaded his hands and his multiple tries of biting her. Her emerald eyes had a privileged vision of his white ones. They were cold, blind and showed no sign of a human soul anymore. She was scared of those eyes. Not even Sasuke's eyes would ever be as scary as those.

Their dance went on for some time until, when his feet stumbled a little, she used the opportunity to counter. She lowered her body to the line of his waist, and when his guard was completely exposed, a chakra charged fist was sent to his chin, and based on the bone crack sound, his jaw had probably absorbed the impact and broken. Such thing would, definitely, leave the biting thing a lot harder for him.

The body of the former human was thrown back, leaving a trail of blood as it rolled around the floor until it stopped. For an instant, a victorious smirk was playing on her lips. Sakura figured it would be something Naruto and Sasuke would do at a time like that. Her confidence rose considerably even if she knew that hit hadn't killed that thing, but maybe one of the parts of those metallic beds would help her trespass the cranium. She knew that, if she really was able to find a cure, a man could be saved. She knew that if it happened, she would add another regret to her long list. Yet, in a situation such as that, saving the other two was her priority. And having a constant danger by her side was out of question.

The pink haired girl took a deep breath one last time before breaking the last empty bed near her. Sakura managed to take a long tube from the bed skeleton and it would be perfect to finish the job. Her feet were making their way towards the dizzy creature. He was trying to stand up again, but after that punch, he would still need some more seconds. He was making sounds that resembled animal grunts and she already imagined the painful scream he would release once the metal reached his brain. It would be a deafening sound, for sure, but it would also be a freeing one.

" Mayuma-san... Cover your ears, please… Forgive me for this, I know he's also a part of your family but… I hope you understand."

" I know... Don't worry about me, just do what has to be done."

By the time she got the patriarch's acceptance, the Haruno girl was looking at the creature from above. Her expression showed no sign of mercy as she saw the deformed face of the creature she had punched. She knew deep inside he was begging her to end his suffering. And she would end it for him. She and her improvised weapon were already prepared for one last hit. It would have been over in a matter of seconds if not for a voice that had come from the mysterious door. Such voice made everything harder for her.

" **STOP!** "

Three man rushed in. Two near the old man and his granddaughter and the other one near Sakura.

" uh?"

" son…"

" so-"

Before Sakura could confirm the information, the undead laying near her feet, in a lucky move, managed to pull her by the ankle, making her fall on the ground and making the tube fall away from her reach. Her eyes were widened as her whole body succumbed. It would be her end, she knew it. By the way the creature was already crawling over her, she knew there wasn't much hope left. She knew that, if no one came to help her, her arms that were separating his mouth from her face wouldn't hold him back for too long. If she tried to push him away, the slightest movement to take impulse would give the creature the opportunity to bite her. If only the tube was still in her hands, her situations wouldn't be that desperate.

He was the one on top of her. He and his deformed opened mouth that was desperately trying to take a piece of her. The blood of his jaw was dropping on her cheeks and his hunger grunt told her the end was close. Her end was close.

" get off of me!"

" Son! Help her! She's gonna cure us!"

" she was going to kill uncle, father!"

" don't be ridiculous!" She managed to say. " it isn't your uncle anymore…"

" how do you know!? How do you know he can't be saved!?"

Despair and a clear disturb were expressed in the voice of the one one who seemed to be the son of that old man. He was a tall blonde man who was probably the same age as Kakashi. He was holding a sword that, as Sakura managed to notice, was trembling more than an earthquake. That blonde was surely going crazy. His decisions weren't clear in his head anymore and the chances of him exploding were quite big. He was afraid. And he was right to be.

" he already turned! He can't be saved anymore! Please, get me out of here! I can save your father and your niece!"

" why can they be saved and my uncle can't?! Explain me! I brought you here to save them all!"

" if I die, then bringing me here will have been in vain!"

" save her already, son!"

The time was passing in his head as the distance between Sakura and the dead man was getting shorter. A bloody time bomb seemed to be ready to explode in front of him and he was the only one who could stop it. Should he kill his beloved uncle? Should he choose a stranger over family? What if a cure was found? And what about the rest of his family that depended on him? The weight on that man's shoulders suddenly became unbearable, and in a glimpse, he wasn't himself anymore. The bomb had exploded inside his head, and succumbing to the madness of that world, the man's brain collapsed. He had, finally, turned mad.

A silence showed people around that something had happened. The eyes were all on him as if waiting for an answer. And the answer came. The man used his sword to decapitate his uncle with one cold and precise cut. Sakura's eyes widened, and before a waterfall of blood could fall on her, the girl pushed the body away. There was a relief smile on her lips. She had been saved, after all. She was happy for not having become food, but her happiness didn't last long. His rage was still not over.

" thank you. I own you o-"

Her smile dropped in a shocked expression as the blade of the man's sword trespassed her body. He had impaled her alive, and craving the sword on the floor, he prevented her from moving. The situation was quite similar to Sasori's fight, and just like that time, her healing abilities were already acting. Still, as long as the sword was inside of her, there was nothing she could do and nowhere she could go. Sakura was defenseless. And that boy wasn't over yet.

" w-why did you do it?"

" because I need your opinion about something…"

" uh?"

" if my uncle couldn't be saved..." He started to make his way towards his father and his partners. " then... It also means that my father is also a lost hope?"

" what? No! Your father is different…"

" in which way? He will be one of them too, right? And Haruka too, right?"

" son... What are you planning?"

" it's just the way things should be…"

" no! They still can be saved!"

The pain in her abdomen increased.

" there is no way of stoping the inevitable."

He took another sword from one of his men.

" stop!"

" son... What are yo-"

And that was the last time that old man called him son. The sword trespassed his heart, and once the body fell forward and the man threw it on the floor, Tanaka's head was also separated from the body. Not a single tear streaming down the son's face. Not a single emotion. Sakura couldn't understand it. How come she was crying for the old man and his own son wasn't? Her voice refused to come out and her eyes were widened as she saw the head rolling over with its eyes still opened. It was a horrible scene to be seen. And for what could be concluded, that man wasn't satisfied yet. His wish for killing was still there. And so was Sakura.

His feet were dragging him towards her as she struggled to get out. Her arms weren't as long as the blade and she just couldn't reach the sword to pull it out of her. Her eyes went from the blood stained weapon to the cold blooded man that was getting closer. Sakura was shocked. With so many creatures out there, her life would be taken by a human. A human that was completely lost and crazy. A human she hadn't even had the chance of punching. A human that wasn't Sasuke. Yes, at that time, images of him started to pass across her mind. She remembered their moments together and how she used to believe he would be the one to kill her in the end. Dying away from him seemed so unfair at that moment, but at least, he would be her last memory before she could have her head cut.

The man stopped near her crying face.

The memories of the team 7 and of her family and of the war appeared.

The sword was lifted.

"Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke's face appeared in her head and as the tears kept falling, she closed her eyes and waited for the end. She hoped for it to be fast, but it took an eternity. Actually, it took so long that a clinging sound arrived before. A metallic sound from the encounter of two swords. Something was happening right above her head.

When she opened her eyes, she saw one of those swords some inches away from her nose. Sakura could see her reflection there and as she followed the blade, she also saw his reflection. The reflection of a dark haired boy and of his purple clothes and of his family's symbol. A red and white fan. And at that time, she knew she was going to see him one more time. She was going to see his eyes again.

" I can't really take my eyes off of you for a second, right, Sa-ku-ra?"

A smirk played on his lips as he was holding the other man's sword away from her neck. The Uchiha had, certainly, arrived in the perfect time.

 ** _End of the Chapter._**


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: well, here you go, guys! I know it's been a while so, if you don't remember, please, go read the previous chapter. At least the end of it. I'm still busy with the SasuSaku Month themes so… Be patient. I won't discontinue the stories, I promise. Anyways, please enjoy it and leave me reviews!

The fight ended quite fast.

After making sure the head of his beloved was far away from that blade, the boy kicked that mentally unstable man away, and with his clan's cursed eyes, enveloped the flying body into dark flames that consumed every single piece of skin, muscle and bone that formed that human being. There was nothing left to prove the existence of that person. Nothing to identify or even to bury. Nothing to return to haunt them.

The dark flames also disappeared with time, and not long after that, the Uchiha wiped away that bloody tear that was streaming down his face. The blood left a faint trail on his cheek and it wouldn't be taken away unless he washed it with a little bit of water, but since he hadn't brought any from when he escaped the shelter in the mountains, the boy would have to bare with it for a while. Not that it really mattered at that moment. Such simple detail meant nothing when the one he loves was standing just behind him. And knowing her like he did, she would be crying like a baby for seeing him alive. Silly girl... But she couldn't help it. Whenever she saw him, happiness completely filled her petit body, leaving space for nothing else. Once any other feeling like the feeling of relief also started to form inside, something had to come out. Something as salty and emotional as the tears she would shed for him.

Even before his body could make the full twist, the pinkette had already buried her crying eyes on his chest. Her sobs, even if suppressed by their bodies, echoed around the room. It didn't take long before his skin felt the wetness of her tears that had already soaked his shirt.

"Y-You came..."

Sakura was really happy to see him. She was happy to have one more chance of seeing him and finding out he was okay. And if only her eyes had looked up for a moment, she would have seen a similar expression painting his face. At that moment, there was no way of hiding his emotions. Not even if he wanted to.

Once the surprise hug had lasted enough to make his body used to it, the Uchiha softly settled his hands around her and returned her gesture.

" idiot... Of course I did..."

At first, nothing seemed to be too different from their usual hugs, but once the time made him remember about everything that had happened, and especially, about the moment when she was stolen from him, the Uchiha couldn't help but tightening his grip around her. He didn't want to risk losing her again. He didn't want to be separated from her again. Damn, he couldn't care less about the situation they were facing while his girl was safely wrapped around his arms. Sasuke was determined to keep her safe for the rest of her life no matter what. And in a moment when the dead were attacking the living ones, he wasn't intending to risk anything.

He was going to save her. Above anything, he _was_ going to save her.

After what seemed to be hours, the first understandable sounds started to come out from the girl's mouth. She seemed to be complaining about not being able to breath so, unfortunately, he had to let her go. When her beautiful face was finally visible, he saw her teary eyes and red cheeks and also that radiant smile that automatically induced his own lips to curl up. It was something impressive, he thought. Even after crying, Sakura knew how to be cute. She would probably be the death of him someday, but for sure, it would be the best way of dying.

" Uchiha Sasuke!" Her whole expression had turned into a mad one. Perhaps dying by her hands wasn't the one thing he had considered. " how can you be so reckless!? You should have stayed at that shelter!"

" Hn. If I had stayed there, you definitely wouldn't be here by now."

" I was going to think of something…"

" please... If I had taken one more second to be here, you wouldn't even have a head to think of something."

"... Still, it was too dangerous, you idiot!"

" Tch... Stubborn girl... Shouldn't you be thanking me or offering me something? I saved your head, after all... I am your hero."

The boy smirked, approaching his head to hers. Sasuke was surely an impossible person. Probably, for spending so long being considered the bad guy, the Uchiha forgot that heroes, after saving someone, don't really ask for a reward or acknowledgment. They are benevolent people and they surely don't wear a cocky smirk on their faces. He surely had still a lot to learn before being a complete hero. Yet, if there was something he had already mastered by his own, was the fact of being recklessly heroic. Such thing was already craved in his gens. Fortunately, for him, that medic was craved in his heart. And she wasn't intending on leaving that soon. Even if he didn't need her any longer to heal his wounds.

His dark pearls saw when her emeralds went down his own arm. It was as if she was searching for something. Something that was there on the last time they met. Something that he had asked her to take care of for him. Something that, thanks to that persistent girl whose life was saved by them, was already gone.

" your arm... "

" that girl we saved... She's a medic nin in training and she ended up healing for me."

" oh, really?" Her face became a little uncomfortable. " I guess it's okay then. She seems to have done a good job for you."

"Hn. Not as much as you... When we get home, I'll cut it again and ask for you to heal it. Would it make you feel better?" He smirked, trying to avoid the topic of the girl who healed him. If there was something the pinkette did not need to know about was that disturbed girl who ended up doing more than simply healing his arm.

" Tch... Silly... As long as you're okay, I don't care about who healed you... "

" uhm... If saying it helps you sleep at night..." He teased.

" actually, there is another thing that helps me sleep even better at night..." She smirked back, answering his initiative.

" oh really?" He said, approaching her lips with his own. " mind telling me what it is…?"

" I'll tell you when we get home..." She said, pecking his lips with her owns and taking a step back. That was not the right time for flirting. The girl knew her priorities and she knew that, if Sasuke got too excited at that moment, they would both get too distracted to do anything useful. And in order to do so, time was something highly important that could not be wasted. Time was the keyword for all of that disaster that was happening at the harmonic village of the Sound. Time itself would determine if a person lived or died or if a person died and then returned to life. Such time knowledge was fundamental for them at that moment. After all, there was not much time left. Not for her and not for him.

The Uchiha saw as his girl looked around the room as if looking for something. On that battlefield, only the bloody memories of a fight could be seen. A head without a body and a family disgraced by madness. That was what was left of them. Just future lost memories that will wander around those who once met the members of that clan. A clan that, like the holders of the sharingan, had been extinguished. Or at least that was what they thought until a begging cry was heard from afar.

" Did you hear that?" Her emeralds widened and they turned around in search of the source.

" It came from near those beds."

It was a cry from a person trying to be noticed. A person trying to be saved. The same thing that had happened with the Uchihas was also happening to that clan. There was only one survivor in the midst of a massacre. One survivor that would have to carry the burden of a whole clan. One survivor that, more than anything, was running against death.

Four widened eyes searched for the owner of that cry until they found the little girl hidden under the bed where her grandfather's headless body was resting. Apparently, before having his life stolen, the kind old man was able to put her there as a preventive measure for what was about to happen. The grandfather managed to save his most precious treasure before dying. He had saved her from the death. And with the experience the pinkette had, she would have to save her from returning from it.

" Haruka-chan!" Sakura said, rushing towards the girl and freeing her from the metallic shelter provided by the bed.

" Do you know her?"

" Yes... She is that old man's granddaughter... Just like him, she was also bitten by those things."

" Hn..." The boy placed a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. " let's get going then... There is nothing left to be done. I'll end her pain before she turns, if you want."

" No!"

"Uh?" He lifted one eyebrow.

" You can't do this... We can't leave her! I told Tanaka-san that I would save her. And I'm gonna save her before she becomes one of them!"

" This is insane, Sakura... You don't know the cure."

" That's why I'm gonna prepare one. If I can save this girl, then we will finally end this thing!"

"... Do you think you can do it?"

" I gotta try or this thing will spread around the whole world."

Fear and doubt were the feelings filling the Uchiha at that moment. How could he let her stay by that little girl's side? What if she woke up and bit Sakura? What if she couldn't make the cure in time? There were so many chances of everything falling apart that a cure could be considered a miracle.

An impossible achievement.

But just like all of the other impossible things that became possible in her hands, the look in her green eyes was enough to tell him she could make it. She could save that girl and she could make a cure.

He believed in her.

But unfortunately, more than just believing, Sasuke loved her too much to let her do something as dangerous as that. On that time, the raven haired boy wouldn't let her do her job, and when the time came, his plan would be concluded. He was going to save her. He was going to tame her.

" We need to take her to a safe place. I bet the shelter in the mountains have what I'll need to heal her... Sasuke-kun, I need your help."

" Tch" he sighed. " You're annoying."

" does it mean that you won't he-"

" Take her and let's get the hell out of here. We don't have much time left."

" ... Thank you." She smiled brightly and warmly at him. " You're right. We don't have much time. Let's go."

"Hn."

With the little girl in her arms, the pink haired medic ran after her boyfriend as they were searching for a way out. Everything seemed to be controlled and even Haruka's fever had lowered enough to let her breath. Things did seem to be going well, but deep inside, there was something bothering her. Something telling her that things wouldn't be that simple. Something telling her not to believe in the Uchiha. And that something that she called intuition, as always, was right.

The ninjas of the Leaf finally managed to escape that lifeless home, and silently, they sneaked through the trees and old buildings in order to find an undead-free route. The sun above their heads was almost reaching the center of the blue sky, and with that, the girl concluded that she had spent almost a full day trapped inside that place. In her mind, it had seemed more than just that. In her mind and by the way the silent chaos had taken over the village, the plague already seemed to be around for some quite good months. Doors were wide opened, windows were broken and streets were full of blood and organs. Things had really escaped any kind of control, but not for too long. A major plan was already in progress. And she was not going to be a part of it.

After a good hour of walking away from the house where they were and from the shelter in the mountains, the medic nin finally stopped. She had had enough of that game. She knew from the way his hands were opening and closing and because of his constant check on the time by observing the sun that something was going on. In the same way he knew how to read her, the Uchiha had also become an open book for her. An open book whose pages were explicitly filled with anger, anxiety, and for the first time in years, lies. He would better have a good reason to be hiding things from her, she thought. Unfortunately, for him, his good reasons wouldn't make a single effect on the godaime's apprentice.

" Mind telling me the truth now?"

" Truth?"

" Don't play dumb, Sasuke... I know you're hiding something from me and I wanna know. Now."

Her emerald eyes were no longer showing affection towards him. They were intense and threatening and he knew there was no use on trying to keep his plan a secret anymore. Sakura had already discovered. Yet, knowing or not wouldn't change the fact that the pinkette would be going back home.

" There is really no use on trying this with you, right?"

" Where are you taking me? Why aren't we going back to the shelter? Are you trying to run away from this problem, Sasuke?"

" No. I'm not gonna leave this place and my team behind before the job is done... You are."

" What?"

"Kakashi and the others will cover the village with a barrier in order not to let these things escape. The barrier will be placed when the sun reaches the center of the sky. And by the time it happens, you'll be out of here."

" Me?" Her eyes widened in shock. " No way! I'm not leaving before preparing the cure!"

" Sakura, listen... I-"

"No! You listen, Sasuke! You can't tell me what to do! I'm a ninja too! Damn! Couldn't you even believe in me this time?!"

" Don't be an idiot! I believe in you. I know you can prepare the cure, but the risks are too high and I'm not gonna lose you! ... Not again."

Both of his hands clenched on fists as a soft breeze danced around with his dark locks. His expression was serene yet sad and confusing. His head was a mess and anyone could notice that just by how he was aiming at the ground with his eyes. It was as if the Uchiha was burning a hole on the ground due to his anger. He didn't want her there. He didn't want her risking her life near those who had already lost theirs. He couldn't afford losing another beloved person. And oddly, the girl with the shortest of the tempers and the most intense of the stubbornness, understood him.

It isn't a secret to anyone that the former avenger has a huge trauma related to losing the ones he loves. Unlike her and most of their friends, Sasuke lost everything when he was only a kid. The damages that such event caused on him are uncountable and the scars left are huge. However, once he learned how to live with the ghosts of his whole family, he was decided not to let anyone important for him die again. Especially when there was something he could do to prevent such tragedy. Losing her was not a part of his schemes, but fortunately, dying wasn't a part of hers as well. And she would make sure he would understand it.

After placing the little girl on the ground, clenching her fists and taking a step forward, the girl with fierce emerald eyes decided to go against her boyfriend's trauma. That was something she had to do not only for her or for stoping that thing from infecting the world. That was something she had to do for him so he would know that she would never leave his side. He would never be alone again. She would give him her word about that.

" Sasuke-kun... I'm not gonna die."

"Uh?" A light seemed to have appeared in her eyes, and for some reason he did not know, he was fascinated by it.

" I said... I'm not gonna die! I will survive! We all will and I'll find a cure for this! I'm not leaving you alone... Never... I love you too much t-"

" I love you too and that's why you're not going to the shelter!" He hissed. "You're going home! You're staying out of the barrier even if I have to tie you to a tree!"

" And what about you?"

" I can take care of myself!"

" ... But I can't..."

His heart skipped a beat. He let her continue.

" I can't take care of myself... I'm reckless and I think brutal strength solves many things... I don't really think about myself when I'm in the middle of something important...Honestly, leaving me outside would be equally dangerous..."

" I don't care! I-"

" But when I'm by your side, I know I can't die... I wouldn't stand leaving you behind... I'm so selfish but I want to steal all your moments and stay by your side forever... So, I know I can't die..." Suddenly, tears started to roll down her eyes. Sakura was fighting her own internal war against her feelings, and for that brief moment, she lost. " I don't want to be in a world without you so I know I won't die if we are fighting side by side! I don't want to be alone there while you're still here!" Her sobs were almost taking over her voice. " I-I... I'll stay by your side... I'll annoy you every day and... And... I'll love you until you grow tired of me... So, p-please... Let me stay by your side... Let me fight by your side!"

When the last words came out from her mouth, an explosion of tears took over her face. She seemed a little girl crying over a bruised knee or a mean word that was said. Her sincerity and her innocence were really admirable and would, surely, be considered by the Uchiha. It was not like he could choose to ignore them. Her words and her feelings had invaded him and shook that cold heart of his once again. That girl was, doubtlessly, capable of anything. She even managed to change his decision. He just hoped he wouldn't regret it.

And he wouldn't, Sakura would make sure of that.

Biting his lower lip, Sasuke took one last look at the sun that was already placed in the middle of the sky. That would be his last chance. His last opportunity of tossing her out of that hell, but instead of pushing her, the former avenger pulled her closer in a tight hug. He hid his head on the crock of her neck, closing his eyes strongly as he waited for his sensei and the other ninjas to finish their jobs. And that was what they did. The barrier enveloped the whole village of the Sound and protected the world from those aberrations. No one could come in and no one could go out. They were confined, but they were confined together.

" Sasuke-kun... T-Thank you…"

" Hn. You better keep your words."

" I will! I promise!"

" Just know that... If you die, the whole Uchiha clan dies with you…"

" Uh?"

" I wouldn't choose any other woman to be the mother of my children. So, keep that in mind while you're preparing the cure."

Such words left the girl with nothing but a deep blush spread around her face. Was he really saying that he wanted her to help him rebuilding his clan? Was he really saying such thing to her at a moment like that?

Yes, he was.

He would make sure she wouldn't forget that, after those words, she had promised to love him until the end. She had promised not to leave him alone anymore. And, if that wouldn't make her a part of his clan, he didn't know what else would. Being an Uchiha was, for sure, complicated.

" Hn. Let's go."

" Y-Yeah..."

.

.

 _ **End of the Chapter**_


	10. Chapter 10

.  
. **A/N:** okay... It's been a long time, right? Haha sorry everyone... I'll fix that, I promise... I'm incredibly happy to know you guys liked Temperature! I loved the Reviews, and I'm gonna love even more if you keep sending them ;) Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and don't worry... I won't abandon this story!

Uchiha Sasuke wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He wasn't going to let their second attempt on getting indoors be as much of a failure as the first one. On that time- the second time- the raven haired boy let her go first, carrying the child in her arms, and he didn't deactivate his Susano'o until her petit body was safely trapped in the welcoming hug of their blonde best friend. Even if seeing his girlfriend in the arms of another man didn't make him any happier, at such critic times, it was better to see her like that than to see her being captured again or bitten by one of those things. Those three were safe, at last, but there was still much to be done before they could, indeed, rest in peace. Due to the loud noise of the main door opening, many of the survivors came to see what was happening. Their curious eyes wandered around the room as they seemed to be scanning the newcomers. They saw the little girl's white clothes and some of the people even recognized her as the granddaughter of Mayuma Tanaka. The low whispers in the middle of the crowd would express the apprehensive feelings of the people and how curious they were about the one with pink hair. Was she a friend or was she going to team up with her Konoha friends against the creatures? They didn't know, but doubtlessly, the one thing concerning them the most was that blood stain on her shirt. Had she been bitten? No. Yet, those people didn't know about that.

Even if she had a child in her arms, her joyful friend didn't stop his bear hug. Naruto couldn't be happier to see her well, and specially, with them. Her presence there meant she had been able to change the former avenger's idea of taking her out of the village. Personally, for the blonde, having the pinkette around made him feel a lot safer. He knew she would be able to take care of everyone and that she would be able to find a cure for that plague. He knew she could do it. The three of them knew.

" Sakura-chan! We were so worried-ttevayo!"

" Ahh... Naruto... I was also concerned about you." She chuckled. " I missed you all a lot!"

" It's good to have you back, Sakura..." Kakashi smiled shyly under his mask.

" It's good to be back, sensei." The pinkette smiled back, clearly happy to see that masked figure.

" And who is this little girl in your arms?" The sensei asked, carefully analyzing the little one.

" Oh... It's a long story..." She sighed. If she were to explain everything, precious time would certainly be wasted. There would be a time for that later, for sure.

" Hn." Sasuke started, placing a hand possessively over her shoulder. The hugging time had lasted enough. " A long story that she will tell everyone later. You need to rest now, Sakura."

" Eh?"

Her green eyes widened as she effortlessly tried to go against his words. It was not like she was exhausted, but it was true that she hadn't slept ever since they arrived in the village. That and all the adrenaline of almost dying more than once were making the dark circles around her eyes deep enough to hide something inside. Sakura was tired, indeed. And for knowing so, the boy with black hair wouldn't let her do anything reckless with her own health.

" If you're really gonna find the cure, as you've said, then you need to sleep a little. We will take care of the girl."

Thanks to the intentional, louder tone Sasuke added to his voice, everyone surrounding them started to feel a bit more secure regarding the pinkette. If she was really the one who would produce the antidote, then there was no reason for them to fear or doubt her. In fact, as the seconds passed and the boy's words were getting stuck in their minds, not only that crowd of survivors accepted Sakura in, but also felt the urge of helping her as they could. If she really needed to rest, then they would make sure she had all the time she needed to do so. If she wanted to eat, she would have food. If she wanted to save them all, they would give her all the tools she could need. And for their first action, placing the little girl in a safe place was the right thing to be done.

From the middle of so many curious eyes, a woman that seemed to be on her 40's stepped forward just some centimeters away from the Haruno girl. Her face was round and her cheeks were colored in a warm red as she offered the medic nin the softest of the smiles. If that was the real soul of the people from the Sound, Sakura thought, saving them was more than just necessary.

" Hello. My name is Yamada Akira. I was a nurse before and I can take the child to where the injured are."

" Oh, thank you, Yamada-san, but... I'd rather stay with her until she wakes up." Sakura said, still worried about the little girl and her bite.

" Listen to what she's saying, Sakura." Sasuke steeped in." The girl is asleep anyway."

" But, Sasuke-kun... What about-"

" Don't worry. Naruto will keep a good eye on her if anything happens."

" You can count on me-ttebayo!" The blonde grinned, offering her that precious 'okay' with his hand.

" ... I'll explain everything to him, but you need to sleep first." The Uchiha said firmly, taking that responsibility from her shoulders.

"... I-I..."

" Hn, good answer." The Uchiha said, picking the child in his arms and carefully delivering her to the nurse. The older woman held the little one with all the care in the world, and somehow, Sakura felt like she had already figured everything out and that she would, indeed, be of great help. She knew the little Haruka would be safe. Besides, with so many people backing her up, sleeping for just a bit wouldn't be that bad, right? Right. But convincing herself to do so would be the worst of the parts. Perhaps he would have to use his convincing eyes on her.

As Sakura stood behind, she watched as the nurse and the blonde took the girl away towards their improvised infirmary. Since Naruto would be there too, the pinkette couldn't help but get a bit more relieved. Even if the little one did become one of those monsters, she knew Naruto wouldn't let anyone kill her.

Not while there was still hope for the cure.

With that in mind, the Haruno girl allowed herself to release a deep sigh that had been caged inside her for what felt like ages. Her fingers softly came to massage her temples as she felt the Uchiha's protective hand sliding down to her arm. His black orbs were locked on her, and judging by how his expression was almost like a soft glare, Sakura knew what he wanted, and for her, refusing was not an option at that moment. She nodded softly and offered her sensei a see-you-later smile before the Uchiha started to lead her out through one of the tunnels of the shelter. The boy would make sure she rested properly without any interruptions. He would take care of her. Unfortunately, for him, a big interruption was about to stand in between them and the sleeping bag he had already prepared for her.

Long, black hair and brown eyes that had been observing the pinkette finally came out from the crowd, stepping in front of the couple with a smile on her face. A smile so perfectly built that could pretty much fool anyone around them. Anyone but the Uchiha, who had had a close look at what she really was. For someone who had been slapped and left on the floor, she seemed to be pretty fine. Too fine to be normal and that certainly left Sasuke a bit worried. He was not gonna let her get close to Sakura. He was not gonna let that insane girl do anything to damage his girlfriend.

" Let's go, Sakura."

" Wait! Haruno-san! You were the one who saved me, right?" The girl said, with an innocent tone ruling her voice.

" Uhmm...? Right! Wow, I'm glad to see you're okay!" Sakura smiled sincerely, as the image of a terrified girl was replaced by a fully healed one.

" Hn, let's get going." Sasuke insisted, trying to pull his girlfriend away.

" It's all thanks to you two! I'm really sorry if I've caused you trouble... I know you were kidnapped before having the chance of entering the shelter."

" It's okay. It was not your fault..."

"Still... I can't help but feel guilty... That's why I was the one who healed Sasuke-kun's arm! Both of us were really afraid you were dead."

Even after saying those words, her smile was still untouched. Sasuke knew she had done it on purpose, especially the addition of the honorific to his name. That girl was really up to something and he didn't want to be there to find out. He knew that killing someone from the Sound in the middle of that situation would only make things worse. Still, he wouldn't hold back if she hurt Sakura in any way. Luckily for him, his girlfriend wasn't just any idiot. She knew that girl wasn't really trying to be nice. And for that, the pinkette would certainly show her a sample of what she would be getting if she dared to do anything to her boyfriend.

Freeing her arm from Sasuke's grip, the Haruno girl took a step closer to the brow eyed girl, and carefully, held her hands together. Sakura looked deep into her brow eyes with her emerald ones, and in her pink lips, the kindest and most fake of the smiles was resting. It was the kind of smile she gave Sai during their first mission together. The medic knew that stranger was trying to be glorified for having healed Sasuke's injury and all she wanted at that moment was a disappointed look from Sakura. Yet, in order not to fall on that old trick, the Haruno girl did the exact opposite.

" I'm really glad there was someone like you here to help him. Uh.. Excuse me, what's your name?"

" H-Hiromi- ..." The girl was shocked because of that smile. How could she be that happy?

" Oh, Hiromi-chan! Thank you!" Sakura smiled even more. " Now..." Sakura tightened the grip on the girl's hands. " I'll take care of everything, okay? You're dismissed, dear."

"..."

After leaving such an impacting impression on the black haired girl, Sakura returned to Sasuke's side and they both walked towards their resting was left completely speechless and she knew beating Sakura would not be easy. The Haruno was a strong and beautiful girl, and if she really wanted to steal the Uchiha away, she would have to do the impossible in order to succeed. And she was up to that challenge. You bet she was.

After walking for some moments, Sasuke and Sakura finally arrived at where he had left their sleeping bags. Coincidently, the Uchiha had put two of them side by side. He never knew when someone would be afraid of that dark and cold cavern, right?

The pinkette couldn't help but smirking at the sight of that, and as soon as she started to take her gloves off, she felt his tender arms wrapping around her waist. If not for the fact that she needed to rest, the boy wouldn't probably be able to hold back.

" Are you intending on using the sleeping bags now?" She said, looking behind to see him.

" No... Not now, but... Soon." He whispered in her ear, causing shivers to run down her spine.

" Can't you think of something else, you pervert?"

" Hn." He turned her to face him. " You were away for so long..." He smirked.

" ... It's good to know you've missed me like that too... It means our little Hiro-chan didn't do anything more than just healing your arm." She smirked, and immediately, he felt his heart skipping a beat.

Did she already knew that much from just one talk with that girl?

" As if... I'm not that stupid for changing the best medical ninja in the world for that girl."

" Good... Now let me see your arm. Let's see if she did a good job."

" Hn."

With a smirk, the Uchiha offered his girlfriend the arm he had once injured. Apparently, the girl had done a good job. She hadn't done a perfect one for the scar was still there, but for that moment, Sakura didn't really care about that. It was true that she wanted to be the one to heal her boyfriend, but as long as he was okay, then nothing else mattered.

Following her instincts, Sakura didn't even notice when her lips were softly pressed over the healed area. Such gesture certainly left Sasuke blushing, but by the time her eyes met his, the only thing he managed to do was caressing her cheek with his other hand. Her skin was so soft, warm and full of life. He knew he couldn't let anything ruin such beautiful skin or such beautiful girl. He would protect her, no matter what.

" ... Don't do anything stupid, okay? "

" You told me this before, didn't you?" She smiled tenderly. " I promise you we will all get out of this. I'll save everyone."

Due to the whole romantic atmosphere they were set in, the kiss that followed those words finally came. His hand cupped her left cheek as her hand rested over his chest while their lips moved together and their tongues danced a slow song. The kiss wasn't the one of a starving couple. It was more like a dramatic one, where none of the ones involved really want to part. Sasuke and Sakura would have definitely kept doing that forever if they could, unfortunately, the need for air and her need for a rest wouldn't let them even remain like that for more than 10 minutes. Once their lips parted, it was time for each of them to follow different paths.

" Hn... Rest, okay? I'll go tell Naruto about the girl and then I'll report to Kakashi."

" Okay... Don't take too long... This cave is creepy."

" That's why your sleeping bag is next to mine." He smirked. " I won't mind if you wanna hug me."

"... You jerk..." She smiled.

" Hn. I'll see you soon."

Placing one last kiss on her forehead, Sasuke blew the only candle that was illuminating that area and left to do what he said he would. The Haruno girl, still trapped in those good thoughts caused by the boy, didn't really move or wiped that smile of her face for some good moments. Her boyfriend was really amazing, she thought. Maybe he should be the next Hokage, indeed. All he wanted was the best for her, their relationship and the whole team. It would, surely, be hard to disobey his orders.

Still, she is Haruno Sakura. Even if she really had tried to rest, her stubborn soul didn't let her stop thinking about the whole situation not even for a moment. She knew the time was running low and that Haruka could wake up and that everyone was counting on her. So, after making up her mind for the fifth time, Sakura finally stood up and went towards where the little girl was. She had decided to take a quick look at the girl and return before Sasuke finished his business with Kakashi. It was the perfect plan, she thought. And those tunnels that were more like mazes would make sure she didn't meet the Uchiha in her way. Everything would be okay. At least that was what she thought.

The first part of her plan worked perfectly. She arrived at the infirmary without meeting Sasuke, and once she crossed the corridor with the other injured, her green eyes found her blonde best friend looking tenderly at the little one. Sakura wondered if Sasuke had already explained the situation to Naruto and if he was aware of what would happen to Haruka unless she did something. She hoped he had because the pinkette wasn't really sure if she would be able to tell the blonde about that or what would have to be done if she failed. Luckily, for her, the Uchiha had already passed by the infirmary and informed the blonde all he knew. And apparently, Naruto seemed quite calm about the whole thing. He surely trusted her a lot.

" Naruto, how are the things here?"

" Sakura-chan! Hn. That bastard surely knows you..."

" What do you mean?"

" He told me that you would probably show up sooner than he had expected."

" Hehe..." She chuckled, scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment. Her boyfriend really knew a lot about her. " Well, this isn't important. I came to check on her... Did anything happen during the time you were here?"

" Uhm... I think her arm is getting worse-ttebayo." He lifted her sleeve, and indeed, the black marks were spreading around her whole arm faster than Sakura could have imagined.

There was no time to be wasted. And she would start no matter what.

Barely she knew what was about to happen.

" Come on, Naruto. Let's do this."

" Yosh!"

After finally finishing his talk with the gray haired man, Sasuke, with both of his hands placed inside his pockets, made his way towards where he had left the sleeping bags. Even if he knew the chances of his girlfriend being there were close to zero, he would still want to check it with his own eyes. If she wasn't there, he smirked, he would surely make her pay for being such a disobedient girl and you bet he was going to use those sleeping bags. At that moment, he really wanted to find an empty place when he got there. Unfortunately, for his pervert thoughts, the area destined for them wouldn't be empty.  
Just before turning left to where the sleeping bags were located, the Uchiha found himself in the middle of two possible ways. Turning left, as already said, would take him to where he had left his girlfriend. Turning right, though, was the infirmary where he knew she would probably be. If he had followed his instincts, Sasuke would have turned right. Yet, since there was an old woman there leaning against the rocky wall, the boy decided to ask. If she knew the answer, he would surely save himself some steps.

" Excuse me... Have you see a girl with short hair and-"

" Yes, boy! Beautiful girl with short hair! She just went that way." She said, pointing left, and immediately, he thought she had already returned from the infirmary. Silly girl, he thought.

The Uchiha politely thanked the old lady and went towards their sleeping bags. Arriving there, since he had blown out the candle, his eyes couldn't see clearly, but he could clearly feel a presence sharing that supposed room with him. There was someone in there, he was sure.

" Sakura?"

" yes, Sasuke-kun?"

* * *

What do you guys think it's going to happen? haha... I know... Please, leave me your Reviews! Let's get back on track with Whispers of the Dead!


	11. Chapter 11

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He could feel as humanity died in the darkness of that room. Insanity was wrapping itself around his soul, as the maddening silence forced his ninja instincts to be alert. There was someone in there with him.

But that someone could not be called a human anymore.

" What the hell are you doing here?"

His voice showed absolutely no kindness, as his bloody eyes cut through the pitch-black darkness that was spread around the room. His hands were clenched into fists, and there was an uncontrollable rage building up inside his veins.

There was just something about that girl that drove him insane.

Something about her that teased his animal instincts and made him want to kill.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun… I was waiting for you."

The girl hidden in the darkness, slowly, started to approach the Uchiha. He noticed as she moved her body in a provocative way, and as she rolled her tongue across the thin line of her parted lips. She was trying to impress him and to leave him aroused, but instead, he could only feel disgusted by that filthy woman coming towards him.

That girl will never bring him to feel anything good for her.

She will never be Sakura.

But Sasuke wasn't sure if she knew it anymore. After all, she had clearly lost her mind to that obsession she called love.

Paying more attention to her body, it didn't take long before the Uchiha noticed the consequences of her insanity. Her hair was no longer falling down her back, being now a complete mess above her shoulders. On her forehead, there was a diamond-shaped mark, which was leaking from her face, falling down next to her right eye. The mark, he knew, had been made with her own blood, for the smell of iron was impregnating his nostrils, and as she moved, he could see the cut on the side of her exposed thigh.

Hiromi was like a piece of meat showing herself to a costumer, and wanting to be devoured by him.

She wanted to be eaten by Uchiha Sasuke.

And perhaps, he could give her what she wanted.

When she finally stopped in front of him, her vision was completely clouded by her insanity. She was leaning forward, her lips almost touching his chin and her hands placed on her hips. Her sleeves had been cut, and her left shoulder was completely naked. Sasuke could tell she was feeling confident in her seduction techniques, but it still had no effect on his sexual appetite.

She was just meat, and nothing else.

" Sa-su-ke-kun." Her voice came out, allowing a slightly rotten smell to escape her mouth. He felt his stomach twist inside his belly, and held back his gagging reflex. " I was so worried about you going out there all alone. You were really brave for risking your life for me. Thank you, my prince."

Sasuke didn't answer her. He simply let her delusion talk for both of them.

" You see…" She placed both of her arms around his neck, as his cold eyes glared at her. His murderous intentions were leaking out from his evert pore, and the girl didn't seem to care about that. In fact, the whole thing just made her even more excited. " For being so brave, I think you deserve to be rewarded."

Hiromi pressed her body against his, moving her hips in provocative way. There was a dirty smirk decorating her lips, and slowly, she started to trail kisses around his jaw, sucking his skin every now and then.

" You can do whatever you want, Sasuke-kun. I promise you I'll be an even better Sakura for you."

" What is it that you want?"

" I want you. I want you to do to me whatever you feel like. All the things you desire."

" Are you sure about this?"

" Yes, oh… Yes, I am."

" In this case." The Uchiha slid his fingers through her hair and roughly pulled her head down. His eyes were dominating her, showing no emotion as he looked at the woman who was begging him to be eaten. " I will do what you want."

" You will?" Her eyes widened, and her lips parted in awe.

Was he really serious?

" Yes. I will show you what an Uchiha can do." He smirked, leaning down to whisper in her ear. " Just try not to scream that much while we're doing it."

Her cheeks turned red immediately, and her heart started to beat faster inside her ribcage. She was about to breath in, but before she could even say anything or prepare herself, Sasuke held her throat in a strong grip, and pushed her all the way towards the rocky wall. He was now in control, and the girl couldn't help but be excited and frightened at the same time.

This was what she wanted, right?

Then that was what she was going to get.

Hiromi had finally awaken the beast inside of him.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun…"

" What is it? Are you afraid?"

" No, I-I… I'm feeling hot… I-"

" Shhh. I don't want to hear your voice now."

" What do you want me to do, then?"

" Just be a good girl and things will be over soon."

"… Yes, Sasuke-sama… I'll do as you say."

" Hn. Good girl."

And so, after releasing her throat, the Uchiha pinned both of her hands above her head with one hand. With the other, Sasuke pulled her closer, roughly claiming her lips with his own. He didn't even wait for her decision before he dominantly bit her lower lip and made her open her mouth by force. It didn't take long before he slipped his tongue in, dancing around her cavity and eliciting muffled moans from the girl. Slowly, she was melting under his kiss, and his whole masculine presence turned her on in a way she could have never imagined.

Uchiha Sasuke was a god, and she was his obedient slave.

Her madening passion for him was too strong for her, and Hiromi couldn't help but to simply obey his orders. She was hypnotized by him and those swirling bloody eyes that were entering her mind.

She was completely under his control from the moment he entered that room.

And the illusion created by his bloody heritage would certainly get himself rid of a girl obsessed by love.

" Pathetic."

Stuffing his hands inside his pockets, the Uchiha left an unconscious girl behind. He planned on leaving her like that for as long as it was necessary for his girlfriend to fix that whole undead crises. He believed her, and knew that it would be just a matter of time before she found a cure for what his master invented.

He trusts his girlfriend, after all.

And at that moment, all he could do was offer her his help.

With an indifferent face, the Uchiha made all the way towards the infirmary where he knew his girlfriend would be found. On his way, he met with a couple of elders, and even with the old lady who gave him the information about the girl with short hair. She asked him if he had found her, and sincerely, he answered her that it had been just a misunderstanding. The old lady smiled, and the boy continued his merry way to where Sakura was.

It was not like there was anything that could actually bother him at that moment.

Arriving at the infirmary, his dark orbs observed as his girlfriend was determinately working on that little girl's arm. There was a green light emanating from her hands, and he could see as her eyes were entirely focused on what she was doing. There was a drop of sweat running down her temple, as she ordered the blonde and his clones around. It was clear that they were in need of a little more competent help.

" Naruto! Go grab me that injection! I need you to apply that medicine in her arm!"

" B-But Sakura-chan! I-I have never done this before! What if I miss-ttebayo?!"

" Hn, leave it to me." The Uchiha came in, holding the needle and quickly applying the medicine.

" Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, as she observed the Uchiha.

" Teme!"

" Hn."

" Sa-Sasuke-kun, I can explain. I know I was supposed to be resting, b-but… But I-"

" Focus on what you're doing, Sakura. This girl needs you now."

"… Hai…"

" When we are done here, though, you'll receive your punishment." Sasuke smirked proudly, making the Haruno girl blush immediately in embarrassment. That boyfriend of hers…

" You two are disgusting-ttebayo."

And so, the three members of the team 7 continued their work, trying their best to lower her temperature, prevent the infection from spreading, and of course, analyzing her blood in order to prepare a cure.

They would certainly be busy for the following hours, and above all their worries and exhaustion, the life of that little girl was their main priority. They would save her as a team, and by saving her from a life after a death, the entire village would be able to rest in peace when the time came.

It was only after 6 long hours that their efforts started to show results. Her temperature was almost normal now, and with his power, Naruto managed to replace her infected cells by new ones. That alone didn't mean she was cured, but it would certainly give them more time before her whole body was taken by that putrefaction.

By that time, their chakra reserves were almost depleted, and the Uzumaki's legs were the first to basically collapse on a chair. Naruto needed to rest for a few moments, for he had been there by that girl's side ever since she was brought to the hideout. He had been an enormous help, and both Sasuke and Sakura recognized that.

The blonde could stop for a few moments, however, the pinkette wouldn't be allowed such privilege. Even if she really needed to, resting was far away from her thoughts at that moment.

But it was not far from his.

It happened in a glimpse of second. The green light stopped emanating from her hands, and her eyes suddenly shut down. Her muscles lost all their strength, and if not for the Uchiha's quick reflexes, Sakura would have fallen down like a stone. She was now leaning against his chest, and it felt incredibly good, but she had no time for that. Unfortunately, she had no time to enjoy.

" T-Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

" Hn, you should take a break."

" I wish I could… But I need to finish this. I-I… I need to find the cure."

" You won't be able to find anything in the state you're in now. Let's get you something to eat and a bottle of water."

"I don't have time for this."

" You need this."

" I'm fine, Sasuke-kun!" She tried to take a step forward, losing her balance and falling behind on his embrace once again. Apparently, she was not fine at all.

" I can see that."

" Tch… She doesn't have much time, Sasuke-kun."

" Just a couple of minutes won't make any difference, Sakura. She's stable right now."

"But that won't last for long."

" That's why you need to use this chance to recover yourself."

" B-But…"

" No buts… Let's get you something to eat."

His dark pearls showed her how serious he was at that time. It showed her he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, and she would rest whether willingly or by force. He wouldn't let her destroy herself like that, and even if the life of that child was important for him too, Sasuke wouldn't simply lose his girlfriend because of someone that could die at any moment. It was a difficult choice he had to make, but the right one in his heart.

He would protect her above anyone in the place. And he would start it by making sure she sat down for at least 15 minutes.

It was hard to convince the pinkette, but eventually, the Uchiha managed to take her out of that improvised infirmary. Supporting her body with his strong grip on her shoulders, Sasuke guided her towards the place where the supplies were being kept. Carefully, he helped her sit down while he got her some portions of ration and a bottle of water before sitting next to her. He took a deep breath and simply waited for her to recover her energy. He would wait for her in silence, but knowing Sakura, it would be just a matter of time before she started talking.

And he was absolutely right.

" You know… Bringing me by force might have been good for me."

" Hn, you think?"

"… Thank you. I needed this."

" I know. I could have just come here by myself to grab you something to eat, but I wanted you to get out of that infirmary. It will help your brain think."

" I guess you're right…"

" I always am." He smirked, winning a soft bump on his arm from her shoulder. Apparently, her strength was returning.

" I'm not so sure about that."

" Oh, why not?"

"Because…" She closed her eyes, bringing her legs up to her arms' embrace. " Because you've said I would be able to create an antidote, but until now nothing has worked."

At that moment, the Uchiha saw as her own pessimistic thoughts were destroying all the confidence she has in herself. More than anyone, Sasuke understands her limitations and how bad she deals with them. He knows how much pressure she puts under her shoulders, and how failing to save a life can crash her down in a matter of seconds. Sasuke knows and admires her strength, but he also admires that sensitive side of such a brave warrior that hides under her skin. He admires her human side, and more than anything, he wants to protect that vulnerability of hers.

He wants to protect the girl he loves.

And that's why he will always be there to support her.

" Don't be too hard on yourself." He gently placed his hand on her pink head. " You'll figure it out, I'm sure of it."

" How can you be so sure?"

" I just am… I wouldn't have let you stay if I didn't believe in you, Sakura."

" Sasuke-kun…" She looked at him with a tender expression, smiling shyly right after that.

That boy… He really knows her better than anyone.

" Naruto, Kakashi and the others also trust you. You will save this girl and find a cure. You are the apprentice of the Godaime, after all…"

" Yeah… You may be right."

" I know I am." He smirked again, earning a giggle from her. Apparently, the confident Sakura was back along with her energy. The girl clapped her hands together, and quickly stood up from her sitting position. There was a new gleam in her eyes, and at that moment, the Uchiha was sure of his words.

Hauro Sakura was about to find a cure.

She was about to surpass her master.

" Well… I think we should head back now, Sasuke-kun! We have work to do."

"Hn."He stood up, stuffing his hands inside his pockets. " Let's go then."

And so, the couple started their way back to the infirmary. Sakura was now giggling and chuckling like she usually does, and seeing her like that made all of his worries disappear. She was going to make it, he knew. With her intelligence and her medical skills, she was definitely going to make it.

" It was a nice break, right?"

"Aah."

" Also, I'm glad we didn't meet that crazy fangirl of yours." She smirked. " That girl was certainly looking for a fight."

" Hn, you don't have to worry about her. She won't bother us anymore." He smirked now, leaving Sakura confused.

" How can you be so sure? Sasuke-kun… What did you do to her?"

" Don't worry…. She's just lost in her own thoughts right now."

" Oh my god, Sasuke-kun! You've trapped her in a genjutsu!"

" Hn."

" What exactly did you trap her into, Sasuke-kun? She's crazy, but she's still just a girl."

" Tch… You worry too much, Sakura. She's fine, I guarantee you."

"… Is she suffering or anything like this?"

" No… I'm sure she's enjoying every second of it." Sasuke smirked evilly, and Sakura felt shivers running down her spine. At the same time she wanted to know what kind of illusion she was trapped into, there was something telling her that it would be better if she didn't know.

Fortunately, she didn't even have time to deal with that internal uncertainty.

The result she had been looking for had finally appeared.

" But what did yo-"

" Sakura-chan! Sasuke!"

All their eyes suddenly turned to see the source of the scream, and that was when they saw Uzumaki Naruto running as fast as he could towards them. It took the blonde some seconds to arrive, and after stopping in front of them, both Sasuke and Sakura didn't even know what to think.

What could have possibly happen?

Did something happen to Kakashi?

Were those monsters coming in?

Was it the Haruka girl?

They didn't know. And all the time the blonde was wasting in recovering his breath was driving them insane.

" What happened, Naruto?" Sakura started, with a worried expression spread around her face.

" Sa-Sakura-chan… The.. The…"

"The what, Dobe?" The Uchiha continued, turning his hands into fists.

" The little girl… She… She…"

" Spill it out already, Naruto!"

" She's awake!"

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Mhmm What do you think it's gonna happen? I surely know...

I apologize for that genjutsu, guys... Writing that was really painful to me... Still, I guess it gave the story a nice touch.

So, did you like it? Please, leave me a Review with your opinion!

-EphemeralSakura


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